Gordon to media: Where have all the debates gone?
“We should have more debates.” Bagumbayan standard-bearer Sen. Richard Gordon said on Monday that with the campaign period entering the homestretch, media companies should be organizing more debates, particularly among presidential candidates.
Bagumbayan standard-bearer Sen. Richard Gordon said on Monday that with the campaign period entering the homestretch, media companies should be organizing more debates, particularly among presidential candidates.
“The media is losing by default and our people are the biggest losers,” said Gordon.
TV network ABS-CBN was supposed to air a presidential debate live two weeks ago but this was scrapped two days before air time after some candidates backed out.
Gordon, who had confirmed his attendance at the debate, said upon learning of the cancellations: “Those who refuse to join debates show that they cannot stand the pressure of facing the people.”
On Monday, he told reporters that candidates who declined invitations to debate were “idiots.”
It is the right of the voters to question those begging for their votes, according to Gordon.
“Can’t we ask Noynoy (Aquino) what his track record is? Can’t we ask (Manny) Villar about the C-5 controversy?”
“Candidates should demonstrate not only their ability to spend money or their ability to use their family (to campaign) but also their capability (to lead),” he added.
He said the scandals involving Villar and Aquino would continue to hound them even if one of them became president.
“How could they concentrate on working if there are issues they could not answer [in debates]?” he said.
He said Aquino should explain why his family owned more than 4,500 hectares of land when ordinary Filipino families could not afford 50 square meters.
He said Villar should also explain the big loans his companies received from the Government Service Insurance System for his subdivisions that got the GSIS into financial trouble.
He asked: “Who would you rather look for jobs for our people? Who has the credibility to get business for this country –Noynoy, Villar or Gordon?”
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Bagumbayan standard-bearer Sen. Richard Gordon said on Monday that with the campaign period entering the homestretch, media companies should be organizing more debates, particularly among presidential candidates.
“The media is losing by default and our people are the biggest losers,” said Gordon.
TV network ABS-CBN was supposed to air a presidential debate live two weeks ago but this was scrapped two days before air time after some candidates backed out.
Gordon, who had confirmed his attendance at the debate, said upon learning of the cancellations: “Those who refuse to join debates show that they cannot stand the pressure of facing the people.”
On Monday, he told reporters that candidates who declined invitations to debate were “idiots.”
It is the right of the voters to question those begging for their votes, according to Gordon.
“Can’t we ask Noynoy (Aquino) what his track record is? Can’t we ask (Manny) Villar about the C-5 controversy?”
“Candidates should demonstrate not only their ability to spend money or their ability to use their family (to campaign) but also their capability (to lead),” he added.
He said the scandals involving Villar and Aquino would continue to hound them even if one of them became president.
“How could they concentrate on working if there are issues they could not answer [in debates]?” he said.
He said Aquino should explain why his family owned more than 4,500 hectares of land when ordinary Filipino families could not afford 50 square meters.
He said Villar should also explain the big loans his companies received from the Government Service Insurance System for his subdivisions that got the GSIS into financial trouble.
He asked: “Who would you rather look for jobs for our people? Who has the credibility to get business for this country –Noynoy, Villar or Gordon?”
Administration supporter to ‘shock’ nation in LP move—Aquino
An administration stalwart will join Senator Benigno Noynoy Aquino III's camp next week in a move that would “shock” the people, the Liberal Party standard-bearer himself revealed on Tuesday.
An administration stalwart will join Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III's camp next week in a move that would “shock” the people, the Liberal Party standard-bearer himself revealed on Tuesday. "Next week ho ay magugulat kayo. Isa sa mga stalwarts sa kasalukuyang administrasyon ay sasama ho sa kampanya natin [Next week, you will be surprised. One of the stalwarts of the present administration will join our campaign]," Aquino said at a press conference here.
But the senator immediately asked for understanding that he could not name the administration official at this point.
When pressed by this reporter after the press conference how the entry of this person would rock the administration," Aquino said, "Kapag hindi ka nagulat, huwag mo na akong kausapin [If you won’t be shocked, don’t talk to me]."
Pressed further, the senator said, "Ewan ko kung yayanig [I don't know if this will shock them]. Siguro [Maybe] sometime by next week, alam na nila kung sino pero ako hindi ko iniexpect [They will know who, but as for me, I didn't expect it]."
Aquino said he himself was even surprised that this person is joining his camp.
Asked again if the entry of this person might result to the collapse of the administration, Aquino answered in the negative.
"Hindi naman. Hindi naman ganun kaano pero pag ika nga ...ha? Pati yan sumama sa inyo. Parang ganun ang reaction [Not really. But you'd say, 'Ha? Even that person joined you?],’" he said.
Aquino immediately defended the entry of this soon-to-be former administration supporter and other administration members into the LP against criticisms by other camps.
He said the move did not mean the administration's support for his presidential bid.
"E ito yung mga pumapalag from time to time na maski miyembro ng Lakas e. Hindi naman yung mga baluktot pinipilit maging tuwid. Itoy yung talagang napagsabihan din ni Gng. Arroyo from time to time [They are those who protest from time to time even if they’re from Lakas. They’re not those who are corrupt and are trying to be straight. They are those whom Mrs. Arroyo would reprimand from time to time]," he pointed out.
Aquino suddenly stopped, saying he was giving too many clues that might lead to the identification of this administration official.
"Baka naman ma-pressure pa yung papunta na sa amin e [He might be pressured, especially since he’s moving to us]," he further said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. reiterated his support for Aquino III and runningmate Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.
"I think this is the best time to have a real change through the leadership of [Senators Aquino and Roxas]," Davide said at a press conference here.
Davide said he resigned as the Philippine ambassador to the United Nations months ahead before his term expired on June 30, 2010 because he wanted to enlighten the people in choosing the best leader for the country.
"I'm here knowing that victory is sure for Noynoy and Mar and for the entire LP," he said.
Davide's son and namesake, Hilario Davide III, is seeking a gubernatorial post under Aquino's party.
Davide was joined by his son, Aquino, city mayor Tomas Osmena, and some LP senatorial bets like former Senator Ralph Recto, incumbent congressmen Nereus Acosta and Rufino Biazon, Sonia Roco, and Martin Bautista.
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An administration stalwart will join Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III's camp next week in a move that would “shock” the people, the Liberal Party standard-bearer himself revealed on Tuesday. "Next week ho ay magugulat kayo. Isa sa mga stalwarts sa kasalukuyang administrasyon ay sasama ho sa kampanya natin [Next week, you will be surprised. One of the stalwarts of the present administration will join our campaign]," Aquino said at a press conference here.
But the senator immediately asked for understanding that he could not name the administration official at this point.
When pressed by this reporter after the press conference how the entry of this person would rock the administration," Aquino said, "Kapag hindi ka nagulat, huwag mo na akong kausapin [If you won’t be shocked, don’t talk to me]."
Pressed further, the senator said, "Ewan ko kung yayanig [I don't know if this will shock them]. Siguro [Maybe] sometime by next week, alam na nila kung sino pero ako hindi ko iniexpect [They will know who, but as for me, I didn't expect it]."
Aquino said he himself was even surprised that this person is joining his camp.
Asked again if the entry of this person might result to the collapse of the administration, Aquino answered in the negative.
"Hindi naman. Hindi naman ganun kaano pero pag ika nga ...ha? Pati yan sumama sa inyo. Parang ganun ang reaction [Not really. But you'd say, 'Ha? Even that person joined you?],’" he said.
Aquino immediately defended the entry of this soon-to-be former administration supporter and other administration members into the LP against criticisms by other camps.
He said the move did not mean the administration's support for his presidential bid.
"E ito yung mga pumapalag from time to time na maski miyembro ng Lakas e. Hindi naman yung mga baluktot pinipilit maging tuwid. Itoy yung talagang napagsabihan din ni Gng. Arroyo from time to time [They are those who protest from time to time even if they’re from Lakas. They’re not those who are corrupt and are trying to be straight. They are those whom Mrs. Arroyo would reprimand from time to time]," he pointed out.
Aquino suddenly stopped, saying he was giving too many clues that might lead to the identification of this administration official.
"Baka naman ma-pressure pa yung papunta na sa amin e [He might be pressured, especially since he’s moving to us]," he further said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. reiterated his support for Aquino III and runningmate Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.
"I think this is the best time to have a real change through the leadership of [Senators Aquino and Roxas]," Davide said at a press conference here.
Davide said he resigned as the Philippine ambassador to the United Nations months ahead before his term expired on June 30, 2010 because he wanted to enlighten the people in choosing the best leader for the country.
"I'm here knowing that victory is sure for Noynoy and Mar and for the entire LP," he said.
Davide's son and namesake, Hilario Davide III, is seeking a gubernatorial post under Aquino's party.
Davide was joined by his son, Aquino, city mayor Tomas Osmena, and some LP senatorial bets like former Senator Ralph Recto, incumbent congressmen Nereus Acosta and Rufino Biazon, Sonia Roco, and Martin Bautista.
Aquino widens poll lead
Numbers can still change depending on local bets.
Ahead in all areas and socioeconomic classes, presidential candidate Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has widened his lead over rival Manuel Villar, whose numbers dropped significantly over the past two months, results of a survey conducted last month by Pulse Asia Inc. show.
Thirty-seven percent of the respondents, up by a percentage point, said they would vote for Senator Aquino, Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer, had the elections been held last month.
Support for Senator Villar, presidential candidate of the Nacionalista Party (NP), dropped to 25 percent from 29 percent in February and 35 percent in January.
Aquino said he was elated by the results of the Pulse Asia survey, which he reckoned moved him closer to winning the presidential race.
He paid tribute to his allies, volunteers and supporters for helping him maintain his lead since he declared he was running for president seven months ago.
“This is proof that our people are determined to walk the road to change for the good of everyone,” he said.
He vowed to dance like South African leader Nelson Mandela if he succeeds in seeing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leave after nearly a decade in office.
Pulse Asia’s latest survey, conducted from March 21 to March 28, used a multistage probability sample of 3,000 adults and had an error margin of plus-or-minus 2 percentage points.
Deposed President Joseph Estrada was third with 18 percent, the same level of support he got in February.
Administration standard-bearer Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro was fourth with 7 percent, while Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon of Bagumbayan and Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas each had 2 percent.
Other candidates had a voter preference of below 1 percent—Nicanor Perlas (0.3 percent), John Carlos “JC” de los Reyes (0.2 percent) and Sen. Jamby Madrigal (0.1 percent).
In the vice presidential race, Aquino’s running mate, Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, continued to enjoy a significant lead over other candidates with a 43-percent voting preference. Villar’s running mate, Loren Legarda, was a far second with 23 percent, while Jejomar Binay had 19 percent.
Others received 3 percent or less—Bayani Fernando (3 percent), Eduardo Manzano (2 percent), Perfecto Yasay (1 percent), Jose “Jay” Sonza (0.5 percent) and Dominador Chipeco (0.1 percent).
Nine percent of the respondents refused to name or remained undecided on their preference for president, while a similar percentage refused to name or were also undecided on their vice presidential preference.
Mandela is idol
“One of my idols is Nelson Mandela. When our brothers led by Nelson Mandela ended apartheid, he was so euphoric that he could not help himself but dance,” said Aquino in an interview with reporters. “I think I’d be euphoric, too, if we end our calvary under Mrs. Arroyo and I would dance.”
Mandela’s victory in South Africa’s all-race elections in 1994 was made memorable by his effusive celebration after giving a victory speech.
LP spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Villar’s falling ratings showed the public’s reaction to the “Villarroyo” alliance, referring to the alleged support of Ms Arroyo and her husband for Villar.
“The people have realized that the Villarroyo tandem is no fabrication. Villar is the administration’s secret candidate. The connections are becoming clearer everyday,” Lacierda said.
Saddened
Villar, who has denied the Villarroyo alliance, was saddened yet unfazed by the survey.
Campaigning in Ilocos Norte province with the support of the children of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Villar said the “black propaganda” against him and his decision not to hit back at his accusers could have affected his survey standing.
He said “we were too kind and did not retaliate against the black propaganda that was not true.”
Villar said he had gotten used to the fluctuating numbers in the surveys, relying on the adjustments his team had made in his campaign that enabled him to narrow the gap between him and Aquino.
Adjustments
He said the latest Pulse Asia survey needed him to have those “adjustments,” which he called “strategies” that he could not divulge.
“We’ve already fixed it and the truth is there’s a latest survey that would show that [I’m] closing in,” he said.
In Bacolod City, the wife of Villar downplayed the results of the survey. “We are not worried,” said Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar when asked for her reaction to the Pulse Asia survey
Command votes
Officials of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats were elated by the slight improvement in Teodoro’s rating, but vowed to work harder on the ground to get him elected.
“That’s a welcome development,” party secretary general Raymundo Roquero said.
Roquero, however, said that the party believed more in the support of local officials and their constituents than survey results.
Party vice president, Prospero Pichay, said the “command votes” of governors counted more than survey results.
Not credible
Villanueva said he did not find pre-election surveys credible because he could not believe that his ratings had not improved after several months of campaigning.
“Last year [my rating] was 2 percent and it’s the same until now?” he asked. He said by now his rating should have gone up since Bangon Pilipinas had taken the campaign to many places.
Perlas said he distrusted surveys because he felt that the firms conducting them had already “written off” lesser known candidates like him.
Perlas said despite this, his ratings had actually been on an “upward trend,” which he attributed to more personal interaction with voters through sorties around Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao.
32-point lead in ABC
In the socioeconomic class ABC, Aquino got the support of 49 percent, a 32-point lead over Villar who received 17 percent.
Aquino had the support of 37 percent of Class D compared with the 25 percent for Villar. In Class E, Aquino got 34 percent and Villar, 28 percent.
In Metro Manila, Aquino received the highest level of support among the regions with 42 percent. Villar got 17 percent.
Aquino was also ahead in the rest of Luzon with 33 percent compared with 26 percent for Villar. In the Visayas, the LP standard-bearer received 41 percent and Villar, 30 percent.
Aquino was also leading in Mindanao with 37 percent. Villar’s 23 percent was even lower than Estrada’s 29 percent.
Long way to go
Roland Holmes, Pulse Asia president, said that a month and a half was still a long way to go.
“In previous elections, our last survey was done three weeks before the polls, and certain shifts were still noted between that and the earlier survey round,” he said.
Holmes said the “complexion of the campaign” had changed because the campaign period for local positions had begun.
“Now, the presidential candidates are making sure that they’re either directly in touch with the voters or strengthening their connections on the local level.”
Bias for urban areas
Legarda said Pulse Asia and other polling firms usually engaged in selective sampling of voters across the country.
She said pollsters had “bias or limitations” for urban areas, which means that the concentration of respondents were in densely populated areas because of time-constraints.
Read rest of entry
Ahead in all areas and socioeconomic classes, presidential candidate Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has widened his lead over rival Manuel Villar, whose numbers dropped significantly over the past two months, results of a survey conducted last month by Pulse Asia Inc. show.
Thirty-seven percent of the respondents, up by a percentage point, said they would vote for Senator Aquino, Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer, had the elections been held last month.
Support for Senator Villar, presidential candidate of the Nacionalista Party (NP), dropped to 25 percent from 29 percent in February and 35 percent in January.
Aquino said he was elated by the results of the Pulse Asia survey, which he reckoned moved him closer to winning the presidential race.
He paid tribute to his allies, volunteers and supporters for helping him maintain his lead since he declared he was running for president seven months ago.
“This is proof that our people are determined to walk the road to change for the good of everyone,” he said.
He vowed to dance like South African leader Nelson Mandela if he succeeds in seeing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leave after nearly a decade in office.
Pulse Asia’s latest survey, conducted from March 21 to March 28, used a multistage probability sample of 3,000 adults and had an error margin of plus-or-minus 2 percentage points.
Deposed President Joseph Estrada was third with 18 percent, the same level of support he got in February.
Administration standard-bearer Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro was fourth with 7 percent, while Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon of Bagumbayan and Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas each had 2 percent.
Other candidates had a voter preference of below 1 percent—Nicanor Perlas (0.3 percent), John Carlos “JC” de los Reyes (0.2 percent) and Sen. Jamby Madrigal (0.1 percent).
In the vice presidential race, Aquino’s running mate, Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, continued to enjoy a significant lead over other candidates with a 43-percent voting preference. Villar’s running mate, Loren Legarda, was a far second with 23 percent, while Jejomar Binay had 19 percent.
Others received 3 percent or less—Bayani Fernando (3 percent), Eduardo Manzano (2 percent), Perfecto Yasay (1 percent), Jose “Jay” Sonza (0.5 percent) and Dominador Chipeco (0.1 percent).
Nine percent of the respondents refused to name or remained undecided on their preference for president, while a similar percentage refused to name or were also undecided on their vice presidential preference.
Mandela is idol
“One of my idols is Nelson Mandela. When our brothers led by Nelson Mandela ended apartheid, he was so euphoric that he could not help himself but dance,” said Aquino in an interview with reporters. “I think I’d be euphoric, too, if we end our calvary under Mrs. Arroyo and I would dance.”
Mandela’s victory in South Africa’s all-race elections in 1994 was made memorable by his effusive celebration after giving a victory speech.
LP spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Villar’s falling ratings showed the public’s reaction to the “Villarroyo” alliance, referring to the alleged support of Ms Arroyo and her husband for Villar.
“The people have realized that the Villarroyo tandem is no fabrication. Villar is the administration’s secret candidate. The connections are becoming clearer everyday,” Lacierda said.
Saddened
Villar, who has denied the Villarroyo alliance, was saddened yet unfazed by the survey.
Campaigning in Ilocos Norte province with the support of the children of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Villar said the “black propaganda” against him and his decision not to hit back at his accusers could have affected his survey standing.
He said “we were too kind and did not retaliate against the black propaganda that was not true.”
Villar said he had gotten used to the fluctuating numbers in the surveys, relying on the adjustments his team had made in his campaign that enabled him to narrow the gap between him and Aquino.
Adjustments
He said the latest Pulse Asia survey needed him to have those “adjustments,” which he called “strategies” that he could not divulge.
“We’ve already fixed it and the truth is there’s a latest survey that would show that [I’m] closing in,” he said.
In Bacolod City, the wife of Villar downplayed the results of the survey. “We are not worried,” said Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar when asked for her reaction to the Pulse Asia survey
Command votes
Officials of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats were elated by the slight improvement in Teodoro’s rating, but vowed to work harder on the ground to get him elected.
“That’s a welcome development,” party secretary general Raymundo Roquero said.
Roquero, however, said that the party believed more in the support of local officials and their constituents than survey results.
Party vice president, Prospero Pichay, said the “command votes” of governors counted more than survey results.
Not credible
Villanueva said he did not find pre-election surveys credible because he could not believe that his ratings had not improved after several months of campaigning.
“Last year [my rating] was 2 percent and it’s the same until now?” he asked. He said by now his rating should have gone up since Bangon Pilipinas had taken the campaign to many places.
Perlas said he distrusted surveys because he felt that the firms conducting them had already “written off” lesser known candidates like him.
Perlas said despite this, his ratings had actually been on an “upward trend,” which he attributed to more personal interaction with voters through sorties around Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao.
32-point lead in ABC
In the socioeconomic class ABC, Aquino got the support of 49 percent, a 32-point lead over Villar who received 17 percent.
Aquino had the support of 37 percent of Class D compared with the 25 percent for Villar. In Class E, Aquino got 34 percent and Villar, 28 percent.
In Metro Manila, Aquino received the highest level of support among the regions with 42 percent. Villar got 17 percent.
Aquino was also ahead in the rest of Luzon with 33 percent compared with 26 percent for Villar. In the Visayas, the LP standard-bearer received 41 percent and Villar, 30 percent.
Aquino was also leading in Mindanao with 37 percent. Villar’s 23 percent was even lower than Estrada’s 29 percent.
Long way to go
Roland Holmes, Pulse Asia president, said that a month and a half was still a long way to go.
“In previous elections, our last survey was done three weeks before the polls, and certain shifts were still noted between that and the earlier survey round,” he said.
Holmes said the “complexion of the campaign” had changed because the campaign period for local positions had begun.
“Now, the presidential candidates are making sure that they’re either directly in touch with the voters or strengthening their connections on the local level.”
Bias for urban areas
Legarda said Pulse Asia and other polling firms usually engaged in selective sampling of voters across the country.
She said pollsters had “bias or limitations” for urban areas, which means that the concentration of respondents were in densely populated areas because of time-constraints.
Erap camp to Comelec: Disqualify Villar over campaign ads
The camp of Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino standard bearer, former President Joseph Estrada, today dared the Commission on Elections to disqualify any candidate who has violated the Omnibus Election Code, particularly the limit set on airtime for his or her campaign advertisements.
“This is an acid test for our poll officials, and if they fail this one, then the results of the May 2010 national elections will forever be put in doubt," PMP spokesman Ralph Calinisan said.
Calinisan was reacting to the report recently by the advocacy group, Pera at Pulitika, and based on the data from the AGB Nielsen Media Research, which showed that Nacionalista Party president candidate Sen. Mannya Villar has already exceeded his alloted airtime for TV campaign ads, totalling 2,054 minutes.
The report also revealed that Villar has outspent his other rivals for the presidency, shelling out P1.2-billion from Nov. 1, 2009 to Feb. 8, 2010.
“What we are seeing here is a clear case of using money not to promote one’s program of government but to purchase a quick ride to the presidency,” Calinisan said.
“The Filipino electorate can see through this, and we are all calling on the Comelec to fulfill its mandate in this regard.”
He cited Section 11 of Comelec Resolution No. 8758, which sets the duration of airtime that a candidate may avail of for his or her campaign: 120 minutes in television or cable television, and 180 minutes in radio
Read rest of entry
“This is an acid test for our poll officials, and if they fail this one, then the results of the May 2010 national elections will forever be put in doubt," PMP spokesman Ralph Calinisan said.
Calinisan was reacting to the report recently by the advocacy group, Pera at Pulitika, and based on the data from the AGB Nielsen Media Research, which showed that Nacionalista Party president candidate Sen. Mannya Villar has already exceeded his alloted airtime for TV campaign ads, totalling 2,054 minutes.
The report also revealed that Villar has outspent his other rivals for the presidency, shelling out P1.2-billion from Nov. 1, 2009 to Feb. 8, 2010.
“What we are seeing here is a clear case of using money not to promote one’s program of government but to purchase a quick ride to the presidency,” Calinisan said.
“The Filipino electorate can see through this, and we are all calling on the Comelec to fulfill its mandate in this regard.”
He cited Section 11 of Comelec Resolution No. 8758, which sets the duration of airtime that a candidate may avail of for his or her campaign: 120 minutes in television or cable television, and 180 minutes in radio
Davao's Duterte mum on backing Noynoy, but it’s ‘an open secret’
"That remains to be announced," Duterte told GMANews.TV when asked whose presidential bid he was backing.
However, his campaign paraphernalia suggest otherwise. At the proclamation rally of the Dutertes' party, Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, Aquino's posters were plastered alongside the posters of the Duterte father-and-daughter tandem.
Duterte is running for vice mayor, a post currently held by his daughter Sara, who in turn is hoping to assume her father's current post.
The Liberal Party also held a motorcade to promote Aquino and running mate, Senator Manuel Roxas II, although the two candidates were not in Davao City.
No less than Sara Duterte's rival for the mayoralty post, House Speaker Prospero Nograles Sr., revealed that the elder Duterte was supporting Aquino.
"I am supporting Gibo [Gilberto Teodoro Jr. of Lakas-Kampi-CMD] because we are partymates. Duterte is supporting Noynoy," Nograles told GMANews.TV earlier in the day.
Locals interviewed by GMANews.TV said it was an open secret that Duterte was backing the son of the late President Corazon Aquino, whom the mayor supported during her long fight against the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. "Hindi naman tago na si Noynoy (It's not a secret Duterte is supporting Noynoy)," said a market vendor.
Davao City is the fourth-largest Philippine city in terms of population, with registered voters reaching to more than 940,000. Winning the clear support of its feisty mayor is considered a prize plum for any national-level candidate.—JV, GMANews.TV
Solon seeks a stop to Arroyo ads in Pampanga
In a five-page petition, Baraquel said Arroyo has been using the government's machinery and resources in her advertisements in Pampanga.
“The use of taxpayers' money for one's vanity ads, especially if they are designed to court voters, is wrong and should be declared illegal by the Comelec,” the party-list representative said.
Arroyo's ads, she stressed, have been violating the essence of the Fair Elections law.
“That she could place multimillion-peso ads using public funds is proof that she can and she is willing to use the resources and machinery of the government to illegally influence the election,” Baraquel said.
“In an unprecedented move slammed by her political foes, Ms Arroyo filed her certificate of candidacy for Congress on December 1, becoming the first sitting President to run for a local post after serving years as the country’s chief executive,” she said.
The political opposition said Arroyo’s candidacy was just the first stage in a plot to install her as House Speaker and move for a shift to a parliamentary form of government.
Over 6M Filipinos will find it difficult to vote
Over six million Filipinos who are “functionally illiterate” will find it difficult to vote in the upcoming first ever national automated elections in May, a group said on Monday.These six million Filipinos who find it difficult to read, write, compute, and comprehend may be unable to vote effectively on May 10, according to election watch dog Compact (Compact for Peaceful and Democratic Elections).
Tomas “Butch” Africa, former administrator of the National Statistics Office, said that 16 percent of 40 million Filipinos will find it difficult to vote in the upcoming elections, raising fears of cheating.
He said that compared to manual elections, automated elections are more complicated.
“In manual elections, the voters only need to be basic literate, meaning they only need to be able to read and write,” Africa said, adding that for automated elections, one has to understand the process of selecting their preferred candidate, shading the appropriate boxes, and other technical procedures.
Africa said the Commission on Elections has failed to conduct effective voter’s education, criticizing the infomercial launched by the Comelec, which has “simplified” the voting process.
“They should have taught the voters how to do it step-by-step. They could have presented the actual scenario. They even failed to tell the voters how long the ballot really is,” Africa said during a press conference.
During the re-launch of the group Compact, its members raised fears that the lack of voter’s education could lead to a violation of the Filipino’s right of suffrage.
“Yes, the election day is drawing near, but our worst fears remain unabated. And our worst fear is, beyond the chaos and confusion come election day, the Filipino people’s democratic right of suffrage will be violated. Considerable disenfranchisement could become the norm during election day. And this is not without basis,” the group said in a statement.
National broadband network deal whistleblower Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr., a member of the group, also expressed concern on the unavailability of a system that would allow voters to verify that they have indeed registered their votes.
Lozada said that come election day, voters would not be given slips of paper to verify that they have voted.
“There is no electronic acknowledgement given to voters. Other machines do it, like our automated teller machines (ATMs) and even our lotto system,” Lozada said.
“It seems like they would like our election to be ‘Lucky Pick,’” Lozada added, referring to the lotto process where the machine picks the number combination for the person.
In the case of the elections, the machine would pick the preferred candidates for each voter.
Former congresswoman Etta Rosales, the group’s convener, said that Compact was re-launched to ensure that the right of suffrage of every voter is protected.
Compact, which was initially launched in 2003 for the 2004 elections, seeks to educate voters on automated elections.
Rosales said her group would be bringing in international observers from other countries to ensure transparency in the elections.
These observers would be coming from the countries of Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, the United States, Thailand, and India.
In the case of the elections, the machine would pick the preferred candidates for each voter.
Former congresswoman Etta Rosales, the group’s convener, said that Compact was re-launched to ensure that the right of suffrage of every voter is protected.
Compact, which was initially launched in 2003 for the 2004 elections, seeks to educate voters on automated elections.
Rosales said her group would be bringing in international observers from other countries to ensure transparency in the elections.
These observers would be coming from the countries of Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, the United States, Thailand, and India.
Pacquiao faces tough political fight, analysts say
Boxing champ Manny Pacquiao will return home this week to a hero's welcome but his next challenge may see him go down for the count as he steps into the even more bruising ring of Philippine politics.
Pacquiao's latest victory has earned the superstar even more acclaim and wealth, but analysts warn that adulation and big spending may not convert to votes when he runs for a seat in Congress in May national elections.
“It will be a harder battle than all the battles he has waged in the ring,” said political science professor Ronald Holmes of Manila's De La Salle University.“They (the public) might be passionate about him in boxing but this does not necessarily translate into political support.”
Pacquiao, 31, whose boxing riches have hauled his family out of deep poverty, appears to be taking his political future as seriously as his sporting career.
Soon after his weekend win over Ghana's Joshua Clottey in Texas to retain the World Boxing Organization welterweight title, he affirmed his desire to represent the southern Philippine province of Sarangani.
“Now it is time for a more serious fight for me and that is my campaign for Congress. The people of my province are among the poorest. They have been under-served for too long,” he said.
“I know how my people have suffered because I have too. That is how I grew up and because I am one of the fortunate ones to have escaped poverty, I am compelled to be a public servant for them.”
But his opponent, Roy Chiongbian, is no pushover: he comes from a powerful family that has dominated business and politics in the area for years.
Members and allies of the Chiongbian clan have long occupied many of the top positions in the sparsely populated, rural and deeply impoverished province.
“It's not easy to discount the network they have established, the support they have nurtured through the years,” Holmes told Agence France-Presse.
One key feature of the Philippines' chaotic brand of democracy is the ability of clans to hold on to power by fair means and foul, with the same surnames being seen in political posts for generations.
Pacquiao has also tasted defeat at the polls before.
Despite being worshipped by his fans, he lost his first bid for Congress in his hometown of General Santos City in 2007, also to a member of a heavyweight political clan.
For his campaign team, Pacquiao's biggest priority now is to make personal appearances in the area and make up for the time spent outside the province while he pursued boxing glory.
“Time is running out for Manny's campaign because he has been away training and he has to make up, saturate the whole Sarangani province,” said Mindaluz Gulle, executive director of Pacquiao's campaign.
Still, Holmes said Pacquiao seemed more prepared this time than he was three years ago.
“He has been planning the transfer (to Sarangani) for quite some time. He has been more generous in helping out people in many areas there,” the analyst said.
Pacquiao's wealth has soared with each boxing victory—he reportedly earned 12 million dollars for beating Clottey— and he has invested heavily in his political career by helping local communities and spending on advertising.
He also has an important backer in Senator Manny Villar, a leading presidential candidate.
Villar persuaded Pacquiao last year to join his Nacionalista Party, ending the boxer's alliance with President Gloria Arroyo and her coalition.
Villar has since been using Pacquiao to bolster his own image, playing up the theme that they are both poor boys who fought their way to prominence but whose hearts are still with the country's downtrodden masses.
“When he arrives, we will help him campaign in Sarangani just as he will do the same for me,” said Villar, who is running a close second in presidential polls behind Benigno Aquino, the son of late democracy heroine Corazon Aquino.
Nacionalista spokesman Gilbert Remulla is confident that Pacquiao can go the distance.
“Manny Pacquiao can take care of his own campaign. He has the logistics, the organization that he built up for himself,” he said.
Arroyo gov’t concocted power crisis—Estrada
Former president Joseph Estrada on Wednesday claimed that the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo “concocted” the ongoing power crisis in Mindanao and expressed fears the crisis could "derail national and local elections.”
“The current power crisis in Mindanao could have been avoided,” Estrada said in a press conference.
“But the Arroyo administration not only did not take any concrete steps to avoid the calamity. It actually concocted the crisis as another means to line up the pockets of its favored cronies yet again and further savage the economy,” he added.
Estrada is running for president under the party Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino.
Particularly, Estrada slammed the proposal of Representative Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, the president’s eldest son, to allocate P5.5 billion to lease 160 modular generators to supply 160 megawatts of power to Mindanao.
“Why are they preparing only 160 megawatts [of power], when the deficit is 600 to 750 megawatts?” Estrada said.
During a Powerpoint presentation, Estrada said that the average base load requirement in Mindanao is 500 to 650 megawatts, while the daily peak load requirement ranges from 1,200 to 1,380 megawatts.
The deficit—600 to 750 megawatts—results in eight to 12-hour daily brownouts, Estrada added.
Estrada said that according to his camp’s computations, the amount needed to lease 160 modular generators cost only P2.1 billion and not P5.5 billion.
“The cost of 160 one-megawatt generators for six months is as follows: P624 million in rent, P1.382 billion in fuel consumption, and P80 million in mobilization/demobilization,” Estrada said.
“Compute it. That will add up to only P2.086 billion. There’s an excess of P3.4 billion. Where would they spend or who will get that huge amount” he added.
Estrada went on, “Why generate only 160 megawatts?”
He also added that if the power crisis in Mindanao was left unsolved, then it could cause serious problems come election time.
“This government is not interested in solving the problem, a problem of its own making. It precipitated the crisis precisely to give them the reason to defraud the people through yet another graft scheme,” Estrada said.
“The eight-hour power outages in Mindanao are bound to be there come election day: a very dire scenario that evokes all sorts of grim projections, including a failure of elections that could trigger tragic consequences,” he said.
Teodoro, Gordon talk about health, mum on sex life
Administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro served notice to the public about his health, but remained mum about his sex life.
Together with Senator Richard Gordon, presidential standard-bearer of Bagumbayan party, Teodoro faced health professionals in a recent forum in Medical City in Pasig City and answered queries on his physical condition.
But asked if he still has a sex life despite the heavy schedule of the campaign, Teodoro said, “That is within the protective sphere of privacy.”
Together with Senator Richard Gordon, presidential standard-bearer of Bagumbayan party, Teodoro faced health professionals in a recent forum in Medical City in Pasig City and answered queries on his physical condition.
But asked if he still has a sex life despite the heavy schedule of the campaign, Teodoro said, “That is within the protective sphere of privacy.”
Gordon, however, quipped, “You don’t want me to brag here, do you?”
Teodoro disclosed to the audience that he was hypertensive and has high blood sugar for which he was taking medicines. He also said he needed a checkup for his gallbladder.
“I have a good fortune of inheriting a lot of things from my parents, including hypertension and high blood sugar, for which I take maintenance medicine everyday. Aside from gallbladder that needs to be taken out as soon as I have time, I’m okay,” he said.
Gordon said he was stricken with a sore throat that he got from campaigning, but apart from this, he was physically fit. He said his doctor, who was among the audience, could attest to his physical condition.
During the forum, Teodoro also said he favored government funding for both natural and modern methods of family planning. Gordon, however, said the government should not spend money for condoms. He said the government should instead use the money for education.
Aquino scores removal of parents’ posters along Manila road
DAET, Camarines Norte – Why don't they also remove "Ninoy Aquino" from NAIA?
This was the reaction by Liberal Party standard bearer and Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III to government moves to remove banners that had pictures of his parents along Roxas Boulevard in Manila because these supposedly helped his campaign.
The only son of the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and president Corazon Aquino said the authorities were "stretching" the meaning of the Omnibus Election Code in claiming that the banners, put up by the city government of Manila to honor his parents violated election rules.
"That's stretching it too far. If we follow the line of argument perhaps they should remove the Ninoy Aquino in name of NAIA [the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila]...Perhaps they should change [the name] of the municipality of Ninoy Aquino," Aquino said.
"Their position is somewhat absurd," he added.
Aquino said the Metro Manila Development Authority removed the banners even as the Commission on Elections issued a statement that the banners might be helping Aquino’s campaign.
"It looks like they are singling me out. That is really unique...I know the Comelec has jurisdiction over candidates. Everything that has to do with Omnibus Election Code," Aquino said.
"Obviously the law no longer applies to deceased individuals. So I don’t see, apart from being petty and diminutive, why this should be done," he added.
He said he first heard about the removal of the banners form Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. He said Lim was supposed to have a meeting with MMDA Oscar Inocentes.
"Mayor Lim wants to find out what Comelec resolution was used to justify this move," Aquino said.
"Obviously the law no longer applies to deceased individuals. So I don’t see, apart from being petty and diminutive, why this should be done," he added.
He said he first heard about the removal of the banners form Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. He said Lim was supposed to have a meeting with MMDA Oscar Inocentes.
"Mayor Lim wants to find out what Comelec resolution was used to justify this move," Aquino said.
Gordon, Fernando, Villanueva told to remove oversized billboards
-The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has warned presidential bets Sen. Richard Gordon and his vice-presidential partner Bayani Fernando, and Bangon Pilipinas standard bearer Bro. Eddie Villanueva to take down their oversize billboards, lest they risk election offense charges. Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez Tuesday said the poll body have been monitoring the outdoor advertisements of candidates and found out that Gordon, Fernando, and Villanueva have billboards that exceed the mandated size.
Jimenez said they have sent the photos of the billboards to the Law Department, which will notify the candidates to take down the posters as soon as they receive the notice.
“The clock is ticking. They should remove these billboards forthwith, otherwise, they risk facing sanctions for violating election laws,” said Jimenez.
“We have already forwarded images of posters and streamers that we feel are in violation of election laws… We gave the evidence to the law department so they can now take the proper legal action,” he added.
According to Jimenez, Gordon and Fernando's oversized posters were found along EDSA and the South Luzon Expressway. Villanueva, on the other hand, has a giant banner endorsing him near Quiapo Bridge in Manila.
Jimenez said the posters exceed the sizes provided in the Fair Elections Act. Under the law, campaign materials—whether written or printed—should not exceed 8 1/2 by 14 inches, as well as posters with an area not exceeding 2 by 3 feet.
Those found guilty of an election offense face up to six years of imprisonment and disqualification from public and government office.
If elected president, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino:Body to Probe Arroyo
If elected president, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III Monday said one of his first acts in office would be to set up a commission that would investigate the various scandals that had engulfed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“We want to set up an office or commission that will create a mechanism that would provide closure to all the issues surrounding this current administration,” Aquino said in an interview over GMA Channel 7’s Unang Hirit.
The Liberal Party standard-bearer said the commission would be modeled after the Presidential Commission on Good Government that went after the ill-gotten wealth of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his cronies.
“If there is a crime, someone should pay. There should be a mechanism so that there would be closure for items like ‘Hello Garci,’ the fertilizer fund scam and ZTE. There should be focus on this,” Aquino said.
He said the commission “should make sure that there would be no technicalities that would cause more and more delays in resolving these cases.”
He cited as an example the Senate inquiry into the alleged involvement of First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, his son Juan Miguel and brother Iggy—both congressmen—in “jueteng,” an illegal numbers game.
Sen. Manuel Villar, the Nacionalista Party presidential candidate in the May 10 elections, has claimed credit for mounting the jueteng investigation, Aquino said.
“It turns out there was not even a report about it after all those hearings,” Aquino said, ostensibly referring to speculation that Villar was secretly aligned with the Arroyos.
“We now have no (report) to use as basis for the filing of charges,” he said.
Advisory council
Aquino also said that he would convene an advisory council to be composed of representatives from the three branches of government—the executive, legislature and judiciary—to reform the country’s justice system.
“We should improve the delivery of justice so that it would not take six years, at each level of the judiciary, to resolve cases and that the conviction rate of only 18 percent would be improved,” he said. “We will try to make sure that it would not take decades to resolve cases.”
Aquino said he would also set up a group that would study whether there was a need to change the Constitution. “We want to know if there is a public clamor for that. That is what we are going to do in our first hundred days,” he said.
Palace: Scandals settled
Reacting to Aquino’s plan, deputy presidential spokesperson Gary Olivar told reporters that the Liberal Party presidential candidate “is perfectly entitled to put together whatever kind of agenda he believes is appropriate for the country.”
“(But) Senator Aquino first has to get elected before he can implement this agenda,” Olivar added.
“Do we investigate the sins of the past or do we continue what has been achieved in the past and keep on moving the country forward? That is his choice to make and if this is the choice he is offering to voters and we trust that the voters will make their respective decisions accordingly,” he said.
Olivar said the Palace had always maintained that these controversies “were already properly heard and properly settled through available due process.”
Villar’s spokesperson, Gilbert Remulla, said that if the Nacionalista Party candidate won, Ms Arroyo would be investigated properly and that cases would be filed against her.
“The next administration will not be lacking in cases that will be filed against Gloria Arroyo,” said Remulla, who is running for a Senate seat. “She will surely have her day in court.”
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“We want to set up an office or commission that will create a mechanism that would provide closure to all the issues surrounding this current administration,” Aquino said in an interview over GMA Channel 7’s Unang Hirit.
The Liberal Party standard-bearer said the commission would be modeled after the Presidential Commission on Good Government that went after the ill-gotten wealth of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his cronies.
“If there is a crime, someone should pay. There should be a mechanism so that there would be closure for items like ‘Hello Garci,’ the fertilizer fund scam and ZTE. There should be focus on this,” Aquino said.
He said the commission “should make sure that there would be no technicalities that would cause more and more delays in resolving these cases.”
He cited as an example the Senate inquiry into the alleged involvement of First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, his son Juan Miguel and brother Iggy—both congressmen—in “jueteng,” an illegal numbers game.
Sen. Manuel Villar, the Nacionalista Party presidential candidate in the May 10 elections, has claimed credit for mounting the jueteng investigation, Aquino said.
“It turns out there was not even a report about it after all those hearings,” Aquino said, ostensibly referring to speculation that Villar was secretly aligned with the Arroyos.
“We now have no (report) to use as basis for the filing of charges,” he said.
Advisory council
Aquino also said that he would convene an advisory council to be composed of representatives from the three branches of government—the executive, legislature and judiciary—to reform the country’s justice system.
“We should improve the delivery of justice so that it would not take six years, at each level of the judiciary, to resolve cases and that the conviction rate of only 18 percent would be improved,” he said. “We will try to make sure that it would not take decades to resolve cases.”
Aquino said he would also set up a group that would study whether there was a need to change the Constitution. “We want to know if there is a public clamor for that. That is what we are going to do in our first hundred days,” he said.
Palace: Scandals settled
Reacting to Aquino’s plan, deputy presidential spokesperson Gary Olivar told reporters that the Liberal Party presidential candidate “is perfectly entitled to put together whatever kind of agenda he believes is appropriate for the country.”
“(But) Senator Aquino first has to get elected before he can implement this agenda,” Olivar added.
“Do we investigate the sins of the past or do we continue what has been achieved in the past and keep on moving the country forward? That is his choice to make and if this is the choice he is offering to voters and we trust that the voters will make their respective decisions accordingly,” he said.
Olivar said the Palace had always maintained that these controversies “were already properly heard and properly settled through available due process.”
Villar’s spokesperson, Gilbert Remulla, said that if the Nacionalista Party candidate won, Ms Arroyo would be investigated properly and that cases would be filed against her.
“The next administration will not be lacking in cases that will be filed against Gloria Arroyo,” said Remulla, who is running for a Senate seat. “She will surely have her day in court.”
Aquino on Danding Cojuangco: `We're no longer enemies'
Aquino said on Monday morning that their families had been estranged politically since 1967 but "his generation" in the Cojuangco clan had never "taken personally" their political differences.
He also cast doubts on suggestions that Cojuangco might have been behind his father's assassination.
"In truth, for us in Tarlac, in our generation, we did not take (our political differences) personally and I think we can say that we helped each other for the betterment of Tarlac," Aquino said in an interview with GMA Channel 7's Unang Hirit.
"So, are we now OK? We are no longer enemies. I think that's the closest thing that I could say today," he added.
While Cojuangco has been tightlipped over who was his bet in the presidential race, his daughter and brother Henry have come out in support of Aquino.
Danding Cojuangco was among the closest business associates of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Cojuangco, chairman of the San Miguel Corp., who was said to have used the coconut levy funds paid for by farmers to consolidate his interests in the SMC, was called the top Marcos crony due to his closeness to the Marcos regime.
He is cousin to the late former president Corazon C. Aquino, who was catapulted to power via the 1986 Edsa Revolution that toppled Marcos and exiled him to Hawaii. Cojuangco fled the country together with Marcos.
He returned to the country in the early 1990s and later regained control of the San Miguel Corp.
The issue of the coconut levy funds is still pending with the courts.
17M ballots printed for May polls—Comelec
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Monday that about 17 million ballots have already been printed for the country’s first ever automated elections in May.
“Right now, we have printed 17 million out of the total 50 million ballots. The newly printed ballots are to be used in polling precincts mostly in Visayas and Mindanao and some Luzon areas,” said Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, who chairs the steering committee on automation.
With a fifth printer set to arrive by March 20 at the National Printing Office (NPO), Comelec expects to finish the printing of all 50 million ballots by April 25—also the start of the shipment of ballots, the poll machines, ballot boxes and other election paraphernalia, said the poll official.
When the additional printer arrives, Larrazabal said they expect to ramp up production of 900,000 ballots printed daily, up from the current daily output of 650,000 to 700,000.
“When the fifth printer arrives next week, the earliest on March 20, we see production of up to 900,000 ballots per day. This would enable us to finish printing all ballots by April 25,” he noted.
Ballots to be used in Metro Manila would be printed last since shipment would be easier from NPO to municipal treasury offices compared to Visayas and Mindanao regions, he said.
In late February, the NPO printed the 1.7 million ballots for use in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and started printing the main ballot to be used in 1,600 municipalities, cities or districts nationwide, except in ARMM.
The main ballot to be used in most parts of the country measures 8.5 inches wide and 25 inches long, containing English and Filipino translations for voting instructions for both national and local positions.
The ballot security features include the custom-made 160 GSM imported paper, invisible UV ink from Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM, a regular 2D barcode, Comelec’s own security markings and unique precinct-based numbers, which can only be recognized by a specific poll machine. The main ballot has an additional UV ink marking from NPO as a redundant security measure, Larrazabal said.
To vote using the special paper ballots for automated polls, a voter must the ovals opposite the names of the national and local candidates printed on both sides of the paper shade using special permanent marking pens. After filling out a ballot, a voter will feed it to a machine for scanning and counting of the votes.
Read rest of entry
“Right now, we have printed 17 million out of the total 50 million ballots. The newly printed ballots are to be used in polling precincts mostly in Visayas and Mindanao and some Luzon areas,” said Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, who chairs the steering committee on automation.With a fifth printer set to arrive by March 20 at the National Printing Office (NPO), Comelec expects to finish the printing of all 50 million ballots by April 25—also the start of the shipment of ballots, the poll machines, ballot boxes and other election paraphernalia, said the poll official.
When the additional printer arrives, Larrazabal said they expect to ramp up production of 900,000 ballots printed daily, up from the current daily output of 650,000 to 700,000.
“When the fifth printer arrives next week, the earliest on March 20, we see production of up to 900,000 ballots per day. This would enable us to finish printing all ballots by April 25,” he noted.
Ballots to be used in Metro Manila would be printed last since shipment would be easier from NPO to municipal treasury offices compared to Visayas and Mindanao regions, he said.
In late February, the NPO printed the 1.7 million ballots for use in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and started printing the main ballot to be used in 1,600 municipalities, cities or districts nationwide, except in ARMM.
The main ballot to be used in most parts of the country measures 8.5 inches wide and 25 inches long, containing English and Filipino translations for voting instructions for both national and local positions.
The ballot security features include the custom-made 160 GSM imported paper, invisible UV ink from Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM, a regular 2D barcode, Comelec’s own security markings and unique precinct-based numbers, which can only be recognized by a specific poll machine. The main ballot has an additional UV ink marking from NPO as a redundant security measure, Larrazabal said.
To vote using the special paper ballots for automated polls, a voter must the ovals opposite the names of the national and local candidates printed on both sides of the paper shade using special permanent marking pens. After filling out a ballot, a voter will feed it to a machine for scanning and counting of the votes.
Manny Villar "Pacquiao’s victory shows importance of perseverance"
Senator Manuel Villar, Nacionalista Party standard-bearer, lauded Pacquiao for the perseverance that made him the greatest boxer in the world.
In a statement on Sunday, Villar said Pacquiao’s win over the Ghanian boxer Joshua Clottey was yet another proof that with "perseverance, anyone can overcome any obstacle."
Villar’s statement tries to bring to mind his own rags-to-riches campaign message, which has been using the "Sipag at Tiyaga" (Industry and Perseverance) slogan.
"Isang halimbawa si Manny na kaya nating talunin ang kahirapan, na magaling ang Pilipino, at karapat-dapat lamang na kilalanin ng buong mundo. Mabuhay ka, Manny! (Manny is an example that we can defeat poverty, that the Filipino people are excellent and competent and they deserve to be known in the world. Long live, Manny!" Villar said.
Pacquiao is running for Congress in the lone district of Saranggani under the Villar ticket in the May 10 elections.
The boxer was a staunch ally of President Macapagal Arroyo before defecting to the NP camp.
Pacquiao had announced he would join Villar’s campaign sorties upon his return to the country after his fight.
Read rest of entry
In a statement on Sunday, Villar said Pacquiao’s win over the Ghanian boxer Joshua Clottey was yet another proof that with "perseverance, anyone can overcome any obstacle."
Villar’s statement tries to bring to mind his own rags-to-riches campaign message, which has been using the "Sipag at Tiyaga" (Industry and Perseverance) slogan.
"Isang halimbawa si Manny na kaya nating talunin ang kahirapan, na magaling ang Pilipino, at karapat-dapat lamang na kilalanin ng buong mundo. Mabuhay ka, Manny! (Manny is an example that we can defeat poverty, that the Filipino people are excellent and competent and they deserve to be known in the world. Long live, Manny!" Villar said.
Pacquiao is running for Congress in the lone district of Saranggani under the Villar ticket in the May 10 elections.
The boxer was a staunch ally of President Macapagal Arroyo before defecting to the NP camp.
Pacquiao had announced he would join Villar’s campaign sorties upon his return to the country after his fight.
Danding still mum on supporting Aquino
CAMILING, Tarlac -- Even as his daughter and younger brother show support for the presidential candidacy of his nephew, Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, businessman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr. remains mum about the candidate he is supporting on May 10.
On Saturday night, Cojuangco, chair emeritus of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), said he would rather not be involved in politics anymore.
"Matanda na tayo, ayaw ko na makialam sa pulitika (We're already old. I don't want to be involved in politics anymore)," he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Asked if the support of his daughter, Liza Cojuangco-Cruz, who had joined Aquino's campaign sortie in Iloilo, and his brother, Henry, for Aquino was tantamount to his endorsement, Cojuangco said: "They are free to choose, bahala sila (It's their call)."
Pressed as to why his family members chose to support Aquino, the Liberal Party standard bearer, in a field of nine candidates, Cojuangco said "this is Tarlac, there are two Tarlaqueños running and they are not for Gibo (Lakas-Kampi-CMD candidate and nephew Gilbert Teodoro Jr.)."
In a separate interview, Henry Cojuangco, NPC chair in Tarlac's first district, said he has decided to support Aquino "because he is the worthwhile Tarlaqueño candidate."
Henry is running for representative in the district now represented in Congress by Teodoro's wife, Nikki.
Earlier, NPC leaders in the province endorsed the team-up of Aquino and Sen. Loren Legarda, a member of the NPC who is running for vice president under the Nacionalista Party banner.
The LP did not field any candidate in the congressional race in the first district, a known NPC bailiwick, assuring victory for Henry.
The LP has not also fielded a candidate for Tarlac governor, a post currently held by NPC bet, Victor Yap.
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On Saturday night, Cojuangco, chair emeritus of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), said he would rather not be involved in politics anymore.
"Matanda na tayo, ayaw ko na makialam sa pulitika (We're already old. I don't want to be involved in politics anymore)," he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Asked if the support of his daughter, Liza Cojuangco-Cruz, who had joined Aquino's campaign sortie in Iloilo, and his brother, Henry, for Aquino was tantamount to his endorsement, Cojuangco said: "They are free to choose, bahala sila (It's their call)."
Pressed as to why his family members chose to support Aquino, the Liberal Party standard bearer, in a field of nine candidates, Cojuangco said "this is Tarlac, there are two Tarlaqueños running and they are not for Gibo (Lakas-Kampi-CMD candidate and nephew Gilbert Teodoro Jr.)."
In a separate interview, Henry Cojuangco, NPC chair in Tarlac's first district, said he has decided to support Aquino "because he is the worthwhile Tarlaqueño candidate."
Henry is running for representative in the district now represented in Congress by Teodoro's wife, Nikki.
Earlier, NPC leaders in the province endorsed the team-up of Aquino and Sen. Loren Legarda, a member of the NPC who is running for vice president under the Nacionalista Party banner.
The LP did not field any candidate in the congressional race in the first district, a known NPC bailiwick, assuring victory for Henry.
The LP has not also fielded a candidate for Tarlac governor, a post currently held by NPC bet, Victor Yap.
Know More About Senator Benigno S. Aquino III
GOVERNMENT SERVICE
13th Congress of the Philippines
(November 8, 2004-February 21, 2006)
Vice Chairman : Liberal Party of the Philippines
(March 17, 2006 to present)
Secretary General : Liberal Party of the Philippines
(2004 to March 16, 2006)
Vice-Pres. for Luzon : Liberal Party of the Philippines
(2002-2004)
Secretary General : Liberal Party of the Philippines
(1999-2002)
Chairman of the Board : Central Luzon Congressional Caucus
HOUSE COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
13th Congress
Banks & Financial Intermediaries
Energy
Export Promotion
Public Order & Safety
12th Congress
Civil
Political & Human Rights
Good Government
Public Order & Security
Inter-Parliamentary Relations & Diplomacy
11th Congress
Civil
Political & Human Rights (Vice-Chairman)
Public Order & Security
Transportation & Communications
Agriculture
Banks & Financial Intermediaries
Peoples' Participation
Suffrage and Electoral Reforms
Appropriations
Natural Resources
Trade & Industry
SELECTED HOUSE BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS
House Bill No. 4251 - granting annual productivity incentives to all workers in the private sector
House Bill No. 4397 - strengthening the regulatory power of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to effectively enforce consumer laws
House Bill No. 4252 - increasing the penalties for non-compliance of the prescribed increases and adjustments in the wage rates of workers
House Bill No. 3616 - extending the reglementary period for the educational qualification for PNP members
House Bill No. 1842 - providing for the codification of criminal laws
House Resolution No. 65 - inquiry in aid of legislation into the policies and processes of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in granting rate increases to electric utilities
House Resolution No. 788 - creating a select Congressional Oversight Committee on intelligence funds to check and study the use of intelligence funds by government agencies to ensure that funds allocated therefor are utilized for the purpose they are intended
LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE
Made the procurement of the petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) requirements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines transparent by requiring public bidding.
EDUCATION
AB Economics : Ateneo de Manila University
(1977-1981)
Secondary Education : Ateneo de Manila University
(1973-1977)
Primary Education : Ateneo de Manila University
(1965-1973)
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Senator : Senate of the Philippines
14th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines
Member : House of Representatives
(1998-2001; 2001-2004; 2004-2007)
Deputy Speaker : House of Representatives
13th Congress of the Philippines
(November 8, 2004-February 21, 2006)
Vice Chairman : Liberal Party of the Philippines
(March 17, 2006 to present)
Secretary General : Liberal Party of the Philippines
(2004 to March 16, 2006)
Vice-Pres. for Luzon : Liberal Party of the Philippines
(2002-2004)
Secretary General : Liberal Party of the Philippines
(1999-2002)
Chairman of the Board : Central Luzon Congressional Caucus
HOUSE COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
13th Congress
Banks & Financial Intermediaries
Energy
Export Promotion
Public Order & Safety
12th Congress
Civil
Political & Human Rights
Good Government
Public Order & Security
Inter-Parliamentary Relations & Diplomacy
11th Congress
Civil
Political & Human Rights (Vice-Chairman)
Public Order & Security
Transportation & Communications
Agriculture
Banks & Financial Intermediaries
Peoples' Participation
Suffrage and Electoral Reforms
Appropriations
Natural Resources
Trade & Industry
SELECTED HOUSE BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS
House Bill No. 4251 - granting annual productivity incentives to all workers in the private sector
House Bill No. 4397 - strengthening the regulatory power of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to effectively enforce consumer laws
House Bill No. 4252 - increasing the penalties for non-compliance of the prescribed increases and adjustments in the wage rates of workers
House Bill No. 3616 - extending the reglementary period for the educational qualification for PNP members
House Bill No. 1842 - providing for the codification of criminal laws
House Resolution No. 65 - inquiry in aid of legislation into the policies and processes of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in granting rate increases to electric utilities
House Resolution No. 788 - creating a select Congressional Oversight Committee on intelligence funds to check and study the use of intelligence funds by government agencies to ensure that funds allocated therefor are utilized for the purpose they are intended
LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE
Made the procurement of the petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) requirements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines transparent by requiring public bidding.
EDUCATION
AB Economics : Ateneo de Manila University
(1977-1981)
Secondary Education : Ateneo de Manila University
(1973-1977)
Primary Education : Ateneo de Manila University
(1965-1973)
Legarda stands by claim Roxas offered her a deal
Vice-presidential candidate Loren Legarda is standing by her claim that her closest rival, Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, had approached her with a deal to make her withdraw from the race.
Roxas has denied Legarda’s allegation, saying she was “pulling all stunts” to protect her Nacionalista Party presidential running mate, Sen. Manuel Villar.
Legarda Thursday reiterated the claim she made in a radio interview last Wednesday that Roxas had approached her in February with a proposal that her political advisers have since interpreted as an “exchange deal” offer for her to withdraw her candidacy.
Roxas, the vice-presidential running mate of Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Benigno Aquino III, leads Legarda by 17 points in the latest voter preference surveys.
Last Wednesday, Legarda revealed in an interview on dzBB radio Roxas’ supposed attempt to bribe her last February.
According to Legarda, as she passed by Roxas’ desk in the Senate session hall, Roxas told her: “If there’s any way that you can support my principal (Aquino) and me, if there’s anything you want, we can provide.”
At the time, when she had yet to find a presidential running mate, she said she did not know what Roxas meant exactly.
In a press conference in Surigao City Thursday, Roxas again denied making an offer for Legarda to withdraw.
He said: “I asked her if she could support the Noy-Mar ticket because I could not believe that she was serious in supporting Villar whom he described as corrupt, lacking in leadership qualities, always absent and always prioritizing his business interests over the country. When she did not reply, that was the end of it.”
In the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted from Feb. 24 to 28, Roxas obtained 34 percent against Legarda’s 28 percent.
Legarda claimed that compared to Roxas, her ratings have been steadily improving, noting that Roxas’ acceptability to the voters had gone down by four percentage points since the last SWS survey in January.
She said the SWS survey was validated by the Manila Standard Today survey, conducted from Feb. 20 to 26, in which she got 30 percent against Roxas’ 39 percent, with the latter leading by only 9 points.
Although still leading Legarda, this was a major decline for Roxas because in a Pulse Asia survey conducted from Feb. 21 to 25, Roxas had a huge lead over Legarda of 16 points, with 43 percent for him compared to Legarda’s 27 percent.
Legarda said she was ahead of Roxas in the Class E socioeconomic class, “because I am one of them. I and Senator Villar came from the ranks of the poor, so we fully understand the plight of the poor.”
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Roxas has denied Legarda’s allegation, saying she was “pulling all stunts” to protect her Nacionalista Party presidential running mate, Sen. Manuel Villar.
Legarda Thursday reiterated the claim she made in a radio interview last Wednesday that Roxas had approached her in February with a proposal that her political advisers have since interpreted as an “exchange deal” offer for her to withdraw her candidacy.
Roxas, the vice-presidential running mate of Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Benigno Aquino III, leads Legarda by 17 points in the latest voter preference surveys.
Last Wednesday, Legarda revealed in an interview on dzBB radio Roxas’ supposed attempt to bribe her last February.
According to Legarda, as she passed by Roxas’ desk in the Senate session hall, Roxas told her: “If there’s any way that you can support my principal (Aquino) and me, if there’s anything you want, we can provide.”
At the time, when she had yet to find a presidential running mate, she said she did not know what Roxas meant exactly.
In a press conference in Surigao City Thursday, Roxas again denied making an offer for Legarda to withdraw.
He said: “I asked her if she could support the Noy-Mar ticket because I could not believe that she was serious in supporting Villar whom he described as corrupt, lacking in leadership qualities, always absent and always prioritizing his business interests over the country. When she did not reply, that was the end of it.”
In the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted from Feb. 24 to 28, Roxas obtained 34 percent against Legarda’s 28 percent.
Legarda claimed that compared to Roxas, her ratings have been steadily improving, noting that Roxas’ acceptability to the voters had gone down by four percentage points since the last SWS survey in January.
She said the SWS survey was validated by the Manila Standard Today survey, conducted from Feb. 20 to 26, in which she got 30 percent against Roxas’ 39 percent, with the latter leading by only 9 points.
Although still leading Legarda, this was a major decline for Roxas because in a Pulse Asia survey conducted from Feb. 21 to 25, Roxas had a huge lead over Legarda of 16 points, with 43 percent for him compared to Legarda’s 27 percent.
Legarda said she was ahead of Roxas in the Class E socioeconomic class, “because I am one of them. I and Senator Villar came from the ranks of the poor, so we fully understand the plight of the poor.”
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