tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2010-01-08:/eleksyon2007//40 2010-01-08T12:45:20Z Movable Type 5.01 tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11156 2007-12-17T06:01:36Z 2010-01-08T12:45:20Z

By Kristine L. Alave Inquirer FORMER congressman Robert âDodotâ Jaworski Jr. has vowed to continue his fight for the post of Pasig mayor as the Commission on Elections will start recounting votes from 1,317 of the cityâs precincts Monday. âI...

By Kristine L. Alave Inquirer FORMER congressman Robert âDodotâ Jaworski Jr. has vowed to continue his fight for the post of Pasig mayor as the Commission on Elections will start recounting votes from 1,317 of the cityâs precincts Monday. âI want to get closure. In my heart, I know I won in the last elections. I won ât give up the fight. This is for the sake of the people,â Jaworski told the In quirer. He reiterated his claim that the official results of the cityâs mayoral race in the May 14 elections did not tally with his watchersâ numbers. The Comelec Second Division recently ordered the Pasig City Treasurerâs Office and its local division to conduct an inventory and seal ballot boxes from the 1 ,317 precincts, the first step in the recount of votes. Jaworski earlier requested the Comelec to open and recount all the votes from t he second district of the city which has 1,067 precincts. In response, Eusebio, who was declared the winner, filed a counter-protest for the recount of votes cast in 250 precincts of the cityâs first district. Based on the Comelecâs finally tally, Eusebio garnered 116,463 votes against the 107, 141 cast in Jaworskiâs favor. The Comelec, meanwhile, ordered Jaworski and Eusebio to pay P868,676 and P246,1 60, respectively, to defray the expenses for the revision of the ballots and ot her incidental costs. The two were also directed to shoulder the salaries of th e canvassers. The fight over the mayoralty in Pasig City was one of the most closely-watched contests in Metro Manila, with Jaworski and Eusebio trading allegations of vote buying and election tampering over the course of canvassing. Based on the Comelecâs order, its local division should make an accounting of t he ballots Monday at the cityâs covered court, which is being used as a distrib ution center for the city governmentâs âPaskong Handogâ project for indigent re sidents. Some parts of the court are also under construction. Ma. Anne Gonzales, Pasig election office, said they want to reschedule the inve ntory until after the project is finished. Jaworski said this is the second time officials of the Pasig City Hall had aske d the Comelec to reset the inventory. He expressed fears that his rival could b e behind the delay. He added that his lawyers had sent a âstrongly wordedâ letter to the Second Div ision opposing a reschedule of the inventory. If the Comelec does not rule on the issue, Jaworski said he expects the invento ry to begin on Dec. 18. âI donât understand why theyâre delaying it. If I were the Comelec, I would be glad that it would be out of my hands. Maybe they are anxious about the content s of the ballot boxes,â the former congressman said. Gonzales, on the other hand, denied that the local Comelec wants to delay the i nventory. She said the area where they are supposed to conduct the inventory is ânot safe.â She added that the Comelec office in Intramuros would rule on thei r request today. âThe designated space is open and there is a road. If somebody throws something at us, then what would happen? I have a responsibility to my employees,â Gonza les said. The Inquirer contacted Eusebio but he did not answer his phone. However, his la wyer earlier scoffed at Jaworskiâs claim that he should have been declared the winner.]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11155 2007-11-29T00:03:53Z 2010-01-08T12:45:19Z

HERE are two video clips INQUIRER.net reporter Veronica Uy took during the oath taking of Senator Manuel Roxas II as Liberal Party president at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City on Nov. 26. Here's a video of the actual...

And here's Mar talking about the LP's platform of government. Is this a prelude to 2010?]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11154 2007-11-22T03:15:36Z 2010-01-08T12:45:19Z

By Lawrence Casiraya INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines--The Commission on Information and Communications Technolog y (CICT) will begin its six-month evaluation to determine which technology the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will use for automating the 2010 presidential elections. CICT chair Ray Anthony...

By Lawrence Casiraya INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines--The Commission on Information and Communications Technolog y (CICT) will begin its six-month evaluation to determine which technology the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will use for automating the 2010 presidential elections. CICT chair Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua said eight vendors have been selected to test their solutions within the six-month period in selected areas nationwide. âThese vendors have solutions that use OMR (optical mark reader) and DRE (direc t recording electronic) machines,â Roxas-Chua said during a meeting Wednesday w ith the IT Association of the Philippines (ITAP). As CICT chair, he heads a technical advisory committee tasked to help Comelec w ith its computerization efforts. By law, the Comelec should undergo computerization in the May 2010 polls but wh atever solution selected should be tested in a prior election practice. The CICT is looking to deploy automation in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Min danao special elections. "Automation is not only about cost," Roxas-Chua said. "That is why we are condu cting a detailed study to find out how the public would react to these technolo gies." The Comelec was supposed to automate this year's May senatorial polls but did n ot push through with the plan following the controversial P1.3-billion contract with MegaPacific Consortium that was nullified by the courts.]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11153 2007-11-05T12:33:30Z 2010-01-08T12:45:19Z

By Beverly T. Natividad Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--If the police canât do it, perhaps the citizenry can. Now considered as a âfugitive from justice," Maguindanao election supervisor Li ntang Bedol is now being offered for citizen arrest. As Bedol continued to...

By Beverly T. Natividad Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--If the police canât do it, perhaps the citizenry can. Now considered as a âfugitive from justice," Maguindanao election supervisor Li ntang Bedol is now being offered for citizen arrest. As Bedol continued to evade an arrest warrant issued against him, Commission on Elections Acting Chairman Resurreccion Borra cited on Monday the right and the power of every citizen to arrest the poll supervisor on site and bring him to the nearest local police. âAny arrest is welcome for that matter as long as heâs incarcerated,â said Borr a in an interview. Despite media reports that Bedol has been able to dodge arrest in Maguindanao, Borra said as of Monday, the Comelec was awaiting a formal report from Chief Su pt. Joel R. Goltiao, the Philippine National Police (PNP) director of ARMM, reg arding the matter. âHe is a professional soldier so he has to make a professional report to tell u s of his compliance or non-compliance with Bedolâs arrest order,â said Borra. The ARMM police chief, he said, has not contacted any of the poll body commissi oners to apprise them of the situation. He added the Comelec needed Goltiaoâs o fficial report on Bedol to have a formal basis in evaluating and acting on the situation. Before government offices took a break for the long "All Saintsâ" weekend, the Comelec sent a resolution compelling Goltiao to carry out the warrant of arrest against Bedol issued last Oct. 23. The Comelec felt that Goltiao was âdilly-dallyingâ in his implementation of the arrest warrant. Talking to the media last Saturday, Goltiao announced that the ARMM police was unable to track down Bedol in Maguindanao. The warrant of arrest against Bedol was based on the Comelecâs August 2007 ruli ng which found him guilty of indirect contempt. His conviction was based, among others, on his failure to appear before the Comelec despite repeated summons t o answer questions on alleged cheating activities in Maguindanao. The Comelec is still set to file new charges against Bedol for various violatio ns of the Civil Service law.]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11152 2007-10-31T02:41:03Z 2010-01-08T12:45:18Z

By Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--Diosdado Macapagal spent his vice presidency campaigning n on-stop, because President Carlos P. Garcia wouldnât give him a job. Back then, the basic unit of our government was the barrio, and Macapagal never hesitated to boast that...

By Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--Diosdado Macapagal spent his vice presidency campaigning n on-stop, because President Carlos P. Garcia wouldnât give him a job. Back then, the basic unit of our government was the barrio, and Macapagal never hesitated to boast that he had visited nearly every barrio to shake hands with nearly ev ery voter. To be sure, obsessive attention to voters, in retail and wholesale t erms, is the mark of any successful politician. But Macapagalâs personal touch proved incapable of overcoming the challenge mounted by Ferdinand E. Marcos, wh o believed above all else in the ability of political machinery to overcome all odds. Marcos renamed the barrio the âbarangay,â and this latter-day rajah ensured tha t the barrio captain of old would become the barangay chairman of today, the pe tty âdatuâ on whom money is periodically showered by Malacañang. Marcos distru sted the traditional party machines and wanted to build personal ties between h is supreme chieftainship, and the village chiefs he created and made dependent on his good graces. It is no coincidence, then, that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo governs with a combination of her fatherâs retail obsession and Marcosâ wholesale penchant for bribing all opposition into submission. She roams the country with her fath erâs zeal and holds cash buffets in Malacañang in a truly Marcosian manner. At the apex of the patronage pyramid, she knows as well as her legionaries in the House of Representatives do, that the bedrock of their shared political machin ery are barangay officials. Which is why the true story of the recently concluded barangay elections is tha t they were about cash, political infrastructure, or, put another way, providin g for the future of the President and her people. By now we are reasonably cert ain that the congressmen and governors plied with cash in the Palace a few week s ago were lining up for doles they could give out, in turn, to their barangay machinery. The supposedly nonpartisan nature of barangay governance be damned. It was payb ack time. The President owed the congressmen, who owed the barangay officials, in turn. All would pay their debts, since after all, payment would come in the form of public funds. To repeat: The barangay elections were a partisan exercise, with partisan goals in mind. Instead of giving adequate time for the reform of the obviously flawe d and highly corrupt barangay system -- including, as we pointed out, the essen tially useless, except for dynasty-building, Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Counci l) -- the President solidly supported the insistence of the House of Representa tives to go through with the elections, despite the Senateâs initial reservatio ns. Nothing would be allowed to delay the payback. The first dividends were immediately encashed by the President when she showed that more congressmen supported her than her erstwhile ally, Speaker Jose de Ve necia. Then we saw it in the way governors tried to gang up on Pampanga provinc eâs Gov. Ed Panlilio, who exposed the cash distribution in the Palace. We will see in the coming months, the additional dividends the President expects to ear n from her cash buffets, whether in terms of blocking a new impeachment effort or in simulating grassroots support for Charter change. Everything -- the lavish spending on posters, marching bands, motorcades, the v iolence and intimidation, the bribing of voters -- that has characterized the b arangay polls is as nothing compared to what they represent. They are part of a continuing and increasingly brazen process of governing, not in the exercise o f the will of the people, but according to the Golden Rule that whoever has the gold, makes the rules. With a new generation of young dynasts in the Sangguniang Kabataan, with their fathers, mothers, uncles and in-laws in more senior barangay positions, with th e congressmen having paid off their local leadersâ debts and by so doing, incur ring new debts of gratitude and themselves grateful, in turn, to the President, everything is in place. Ritual calls for barangay reform will be made, and eve n if they have become an exercise in futility, we support those calls. However, we should all be aware that the entire political class benefited from this exe rcise, and this is what sets apart their interests from the broader public.]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11151 2007-10-30T10:09:43Z 2010-01-08T12:45:18Z

By Joey A. Gabieta, Edwin Fernandez, Charlie Señase Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--Two elected village chiefs were killed in separate inciden ts hours after voting ended in Mondayâs barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kaba taan (Youth Council) elections, according to reports culled by...

By Joey A. Gabieta, Edwin Fernandez, Charlie Señase Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--Two elected village chiefs were killed in separate inciden ts hours after voting ended in Mondayâs barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kaba taan (Youth Council) elections, according to reports culled by INQUIRER.net. The latest reports have increased the number of cases of election-related viole nce to 50, police said. A Philippine Daily Inquirer report from Shariff Kabunsuan said that in Sultan K udarat, Samsodin Lumbos, a newly proclaimed village chief of Balut, was shot to death by unidentified suspects late Monday. Another Inquirer report from Tacloban City said Marcos Anquillo, who was reelec ted village chief of Zone 3 and a village watchman, identified as Roger Reyes, were shot dead earlier on the same day. The Inquirer report from Shariff Kabunsuan quoted Superintendent Ismael Ali, Sh ariff Kabunsuan police director, as saying that Lumbos was killed near the Sult an Kudarat Municipal Hall around 11:30 p.m. Monday. "The victim had just been proclaimed winner defeating an administration candida te when he was shot dead in a dark portion near the municipal hall," Ali said. He said the incident was the second election-related killing in the province. On Oct. 18, reelectionist Senditan barangay chairman Hadji Akmad Abdullah and v illage councilor Monib Ali were killed in an ambush by unidentified gunmen.]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11150 2007-10-29T10:25:08Z 2010-01-08T12:45:18Z

By Veronica Uy, Thea Alberto INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines--Despite several incidents of election-related violence and failure of elections in some areas, the barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kab ataan (Youth Council) elections were generally peaceful, poll and police offici als said Monday....

By Veronica Uy, Thea Alberto INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines--Despite several incidents of election-related violence and failure of elections in some areas, the barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kab ataan (Youth Council) elections were generally peaceful, poll and police offici als said Monday. Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon Jr. said there were n o major occurrences recorded in most of the 42,000 villages nationwide, as he c alled the elections the most peaceful in recent years. "The 2007 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections will probably go down in history as the most peaceful and widely participated electoral exercise in rece nt years," said Razon. Commission on Elections spokesman James Jimenez attributed the peaceful conduct of the polls to more attentive coverage from the media, the high visibility of police officers, and candidatesâ lack of money. Acting Comelec Chairman Resurreccion Borra said a total of 315 cases of electio n-related violence have been reported to their office and were being verified. He said these incidents included fistfights and did not exclusively involve fir earms. Of this number, taken from the election period from September 29 up to 1 p.m. M onday, about 40 resulted in deaths. The PNPâs count, said Razon, was 48 incidents of election-related violence --25 resulting in death and 28 in injuries -- from September 29 to October 29 in 42 ,000 villages around the country, compared to 159 incidents in 2002. Razon said that from 7 a.m. to the close of polling precincts at 3 p.m., there were only seven violent incident, including the killing of a village chief in B asilan and his companion. The latest PNP tally showed that five of those killed were candidates for villa ge chief while two were running for village councilor. Seven of those killed we re incumbent village officials. Four of those wounded were village chief candid ates, it added. But Commissioner Rene Sarmiento and Chief Superintendent Silverio Alarcio, head of the Directorate for Operations, agreed that their figures were lower compar ed to the 158 or 159 election-related deaths in the barangay polls in 2002. "This is because 30 percent of the cases in the 2002 elections happened on Elec tion Day itself," said Alarcio. But despite the generally peaceful assessment, this yearâs elections was not wi thout its share of irregularities, with failure of elections being declared in some areas, poll and police officials said. Failure of elections was declared in the provinces of Sulu, Lanao, and Masbate, and in Pasay City, Comelec officials said. All in all, Chief Superintendent Silverio Alarcio, chief of the directorate for operations, said failure of elections was declared in 16 Lanao del Sur village s, seven in Sultan Dumalungdong town and nine in Luraba Kaugnayan. In Sulu City, failure of elections was declared in the villages of Kalinggalang Kalwang, Panddan, and Pang. Problems were also recorded in all barangay of Pan glima Estino were also named, said Alarcio. In Shariff Kabunsuan, failure of elections was declared in Barangay Kidama, he added. Quoting lawyer Julie Vidzfar, Sulu election supervisor, Sarmiento said there we re no elections in the whole town of Panglima Estina, after all members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) failed to report; Sunugan and Panabuan villa ges in the town of Indanan, after the Department of Interior and Local Governme nt refused to release ballot boxes; Tumtangis, Lambayong, and Sasak villages in the town of Indanan, after the BEIs delivered the official ballots to the wron g polling precincts; Barangay Tagbak, still in Indanan, after the BEIs and the military stopped voting due to violence; Barangay Liubud Pantao in the town of Talipao, where a police officer was gunned down; and in Barangay Tulayan, Capua l, Angilan, and Lahing-Lahing in Luuk town, where all BEI members failed to rep ort for work. Sarmiento supervised the elections in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Lu zon, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Sulu province Borra, commissioner-in-charge of Metro Manila, Western and Eastern Visayas, and Lanao Del Norte, noted an upsurge of irregularities in the Autonomous Region i n Muslim Mindanao. âAs in many places in ARMM,â Borra said that in Marawi City the election office r and the municipal treasurer were reported missing, causing the non-distributi on of election paraphernalia in the area. Borra said he ordered the field lawyer to arrest the two and to appoint the ele ction assistant as the election officer to handle the distribution of the elect ion materials. âAs of 12 noon, the elections have started,â he said. In Dumalondong, also in Lanao Del Norte, Borra said two groups had been firing at each other, causing even the military and the BEI members to withdraw from t he area. Borra also noted the delayed start of voting in Marantao, and the absence of BE Is in some places in Masiu town. In Metro Manila, Borra said voting started late in Taguig where the BEIs were h arassed while some Pasay voters were delisted, causing the BEIs to temporarily stop the voting after a mob had started to form. In Murcia town, Negros Occidental, Borra said two candidates had a shooting due l. Although neither one was hit, a stray bullet hit a passing motorcycle rider although he survived because the bullet hit his helmet. In Cebu City, there was a reported lack of ballots for the SK elections. Sarmiento said except for the relief of the chief of police of Dingras, Ilocos Norte, elections in Regions 1 and 2 were generally peaceful with no reports of delays or violence. It was not the same however for Nueva Ecija where a fire at 4 a.m. was reported in six classrooms in Pantabangan and a fistfight was reported in Bongabon, Sar miento said. Sarmiento said that in Region 9, the BEIs in Barangay Tikala in Zamboanga Del S ur were fired upon by unknown groups. Unlike the May elections, May when Abra was on the list of election hot spots, Commissioner Romeo Brawner said it had been peaceful in the province except for one incident of indiscriminate firing in Bangued and the ambush of a candidate , where the suspect had been arrested. Lack of ballots was the problem in the Kalinga and Apayao provinces, said Brawn er. This was resolved by using emergency ballots duly authenticated by the loca l Comelec officials and the local treasurers, he said. In Tawi-Tawi, rains and rough seas delayed the distribution of election materia ls. Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer, in charge of Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and Basil an province, said there were lots of problems, especially in Basilan, where vot ing was delayed because of the exclusion of names on the votersâ list. Ferrer, also in charge of the gun ban, said he would go after a gun dealer in S an Carlos City, Pangasinan, who had a fake exemption. He promised to personally deal with the recidivist, who was caught last May for a similar offense. Razon has placed the 120,000-strong PNP on full alert to guard against fraud an d violence. More than a million candidates are vying for nearly 672,000 posts in 42,000 bar angay. Elected to three-year terms, they fill grass-roots posts in the country of 89 million people that range from overseeing garbage collection to weeding o ut suspected insurgents in their neighborhoods. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo voted in her hometown in Pampanga province, n orth of Manila, waving and smiling to a small crowd. Her ousted predecessor, Joseph Estrada, whom she pardoned last week after his p lunder conviction, voted in a suburban Manila school for the first time since r egaining his freedom. Razon said troops were helping police secure the balloting in about 4,500 villa ges considered security hotspots due to the presence of communist or Muslim gue rrillas or a history of intense political rivalries. Police were concerned that communist guerrillas could use force to ensure the v ictory of sympathetic candidates, Razon said. "Our intelligence assessment indicates a massive effort ... to field sympatheti c candidates in the elections in order for the movement to regain lost ground," Razon said in a statement Sunday. He also said the PNP will remain on full alert, anticipating that the counting and proclamation of the winning candidates will be more crucial. "We are still on full alert to be able to maintain the situation," said Razon. "This is the phase that we guard the counting process, we guard Comelec officia ls, elections returns and safeguard election paraphernalia." Ahead of the voting, communist guerrillas abducted a candidate for village lead er in Basey town in the central province of Samar. Elizabeth Gutierrez, who was kidnapped Wednesday, was running against a relative of a rebel commander, poli ce said. A former rebel aspiring to become a village head was killed by suspected commun ist gunmen last Monday in Villareal town, also in Samar, about 600 kilometers ( 375 miles) southeast of Manila, police said. Arroyo has repeatedly said she wants to end the communist rebellion -- one of A sia's longest -- by 2010, when her term ends. The 6,200-strong rebels have been fighting for a Marxist state for 39 years and have stepped up raids on police and military outposts as well as commercial establishments in recent months. With a report from Associated Press]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11149 2007-10-29T05:24:08Z 2010-01-08T12:45:18Z

By Thea Alberto INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines--At least 43 cases of election-related violent incidents we re listed by the Philippine National Police, with at least 23 persons killed an d 20 others wounded as of 9 a.m. Monday. The updated tally...

By Thea Alberto INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines--At least 43 cases of election-related violent incidents we re listed by the Philippine National Police, with at least 23 persons killed an d 20 others wounded as of 9 a.m. Monday. The updated tally showed that five of those killed were candidates for the vill age chief post while two were running as village councilors. Seven of those kil led were incumbent village officials, according to the tally. Meanwhile, four of those wounded were village chief candidates. Chief Superintendent Silverio Alarcio, head of the Directorate for Operations, said this year's village elections were less violent compared to the one in 200 2, when his office listed a total of 159 cases. Alarcio added however that the present number might still increase. "This is because 30 percent of the cases in the 2002 elections happened on Elec tion Day itself," said Alarcio.]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11148 2007-10-27T06:19:13Z 2010-01-08T12:45:18Z

By Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--A Catholic prelate has appealed for more active participat ion in the upcoming barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataang (youth council ) elections on October 29 as candidatesâ campaigning ends Saturday. In a statement, Catholic Bishopsâ Conference of...

By Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--A Catholic prelate has appealed for more active participat ion in the upcoming barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataang (youth council ) elections on October 29 as candidatesâ campaigning ends Saturday. In a statement, Catholic Bishopsâ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) presiden t Angel Lagdameo said that if the faithful could take interest in how their chu rches or parishes operate, they should similarly give the same attention to the ir villages. Lagdameo has also asked the faithful to consciously participate in the affairs of the villages since it serves as a breeding ground for future leaders. He stressed that the people should guard against partisanship in the elections to protect the villageâs role in providing for the common good. Bev erly Natividad]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11147 2007-10-25T05:14:01Z 2010-01-08T12:45:18Z

By Nestor P. Burgos Jr. Inquirer ILOILO CITY, Philippines--An outgoing Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chair was shot dead in her home in Lambunao town, Iloilo province, Tuesday evening, the first violent incident in the Visayas involving a youth council candidate less...

By Nestor P. Burgos Jr. Inquirer ILOILO CITY, Philippines--An outgoing Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chair was shot dead in her home in Lambunao town, Iloilo province, Tuesday evening, the first violent incident in the Visayas involving a youth council candidate less than a week before the barangay (village) and SK elections. Bona Marie Catedral, 22, died from a gunshot wound in the left chest after she was shot at close range at around 6:30 p.m. at her family's residence in Barang ay Jayubo, 15 kilometers from the town proper. Lambunao is around 48 kilometers north of Iloilo City. The victim is the fourth of five children of Lambunao Vice Mayor Pancho Catedra l. Her remains were brought to the Solano Funeral Homes in Lambunao. Investigators are still verifying reports that an unidentified gunman approache d and shot the victim as she was about to close a window of their house. Senior Inspector Elmer Armada, Lambunao police chief, said they were still inve stigating the circumstances of the shooting. Armada would not confirm if politics was being eyed as angle in the shooting. H e also refused to reveal the probable motives of the crime saying they were sti ll in the early stage of their investigation.]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11146 2007-10-22T23:08:22Z 2010-01-08T12:45:18Z

By Tina Santos Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--While anti-government groups are trying to find ways to un seat President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, activist priest Robert Reyes has chosen âexorcismâ to ârid the government of evil spirits.â Reyes, also known as the ârunning priestâ...

By Tina Santos Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--While anti-government groups are trying to find ways to un seat President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, activist priest Robert Reyes has chosen âexorcismâ to ârid the government of evil spirits.â Reyes, also known as the ârunning priestâ for jogging in support of social caus es, performed exorcism rites on Monday in front of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) building in Manila, and also prayed for peaceful and credible baranga y (village) elections on October 29.]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11145 2007-10-21T15:56:33Z 2010-01-08T12:45:17Z

By Inquirer Northern Luzon Bureau, Southern Luzon Bureau, Central Luzon Desk, Mindanao Bureau MANILA, Philippines--While the enthusiasm generated by the national elections i n May has died down, candidates for the Oct. 29 barangay (village) and Sangguni ang Kabataan (youth...

By Inquirer Northern Luzon Bureau, Southern Luzon Bureau, Central Luzon Desk, Mindanao Bureau MANILA, Philippines--While the enthusiasm generated by the national elections i n May has died down, candidates for the Oct. 29 barangay (village) and Sangguni ang Kabataan (youth council) elections have been trying to perk up the electora te by using time-tested campaign gimmicks. Some candidates have resorted to merrymaking -- complete with Ati-Atihan dancer s and motorcades of jeepneys, pedicabs and tricycles -- to introduce themselves to voters. Others opted to conduct an anti-rabies vaccination campaign and free measles im munization for children. Still others capitalized on a popular television show for name recall while som e youth candidates named their group after a Japanese cartoon character to attr act young voters. The same charges of vote-buying and fraud that hounded candidates in the May 14 national elections, however, have also cropped up in some provinces. In Nueva Vizcaya, local officials and residents have expressed concern that the exercise has been marked with vote-buying and flying voters. Parents and SK candidates in Barangay Poblacion North have allegedly engaged in registering SK voters who are not from the village, said Councilor Michael Tio ngson of Solano town. In Aritao town, residents said some local officials were virtually dictating th e outcome of the village elections by handpicking those who were supposed to fi le their candidacies and forcing others to withdraw. Candidates belonging to one slate in Don Mariano Perez village in Bayombong tow n have been conducting vaccination of pet dogs. "I wish it is election period every day because our barangay and SK officials b ecome hyperactive during these times. They are so nice, so hard working, so vis ible, always smiling and shaking hands left and right," said Dexter Divad of th e Solano police. In Laoag City, former vice mayor Marlon Manuel said people voting in the villag e and SK elections were not vulnerable to vote-buying because they would likely vote for relatives in the running. "There is no room for 3Gs (goons, guns, gold). When they go to the precincts, v oters will think about whether the candidate has been a good neighbor, if he ha d helped him in some way or whether he is a relative," he said. But like any election, the SK and village polls are used as vehicles for famili es to either perpetuate or expand political dynasties. In Laoag, those joining the polls include Chevylle Fariñas, wife of Mayor Mich ael Fariñas, who is running unopposed. Ruben Ablan, a son of Ilocos Norte Rep. Roque Ablan Jr., is also running for ba rangay chairman. Except for a shooting incident in Bolinao, Pangasinan on Friday night, which hu rt two village leaders, one of whom was a village council candidate, the start of the campaign period was peaceful, police said. For some village candidates in Benguet, it's payback time. Several village candidates have asked for financial help from provincial offici als whom they helped get elected in the May elections. Almost every candidate in Baguio City were discussing waste management in their campaign. In Barangay San Vicente in Tarlac City, streamers by a candidate for village ch air hope to convey the message that if he wins, his village would be as merry a s the popular "Bahay ni Kuya" of ABS-CBN's "Pinoy Big Brother." A slate of village candidates in Barangay Sto. Cristo is trailed by a processio n of placard-carrying supporters and children, in black body paint, dancing in an Ati-Atihan fashion. In Barangay Matatalaib, a group of five candidates for councilor called themsel ves the "Voltes 5" in streamers and placards. Elections in Barangay San Vicente, though, is something to watch out for. The t op position is being contested by former Tarlac City Vice Mayor Tess Cabal and former Councilor Roy Escalona. In Pampanga, the second day of the campaign period took on a fiesta-like atmosp here Saturday when candidates held their respective motorcades. The motorcades, at times tailed by honking tricycles and pedicabs, wound throug h the villages' roads. Some candidates threw candies and campaign leaflets to s pectators. In the Mabalacat village of Marcos, Larry Lingay is the lone Aeta among six can didates for village. Nine Aeta men, however, are running for councilor in the v illage. Also in Mabalacat, village chair candidate Jun Castro coined a catchy phrase fo r his candidacy. In posters, he projected himself as the "katulong sa barangay (your aide in the village)." Siblings of politicians have joined the race. Atlas, the son of Mabalacat Mayor Marino Morales, is running for village chief of Dau. His younger brother is ey eing the chairmanship of the SK. In Nueva Ecija, none of the pomp and glitter of the past local elections have b een observed in the campaign trail. The candidates, either riding on tricycles, motorcycles and "kolong-kolong" (mo torcycle-driven cart used to transport hogs), were seen going on a house-to-hou se campaign. In Tabuating in San Leonardo town, an early substitution of candidates happened Friday when a candidate for council member, Numeriano Sapiandante, was shot de ad while campaigning. His younger brother, Atanacio, took his place. Candidates in Bataan have been knocking on doors of their village mates and res idents to ask them what they can give in exchange for their votes. In Bulacan, candidates in uniform colored shirts, vests and native woven hats w ent around the villages of Bulakan, Paombong, Hagonoy and Guiguinto to solicit votes. At least 800 villages in southern Luzon are under police watch. Some of them ar e regarded as "areas of immediate concern" or those where there is intense poli tical rivalry and presence of armed groups. Less colorful and photo-copied campaign materials are posted on mini billboards at village entrances. Candidates are seen conducting house-to-house visits to introduce themselves an d distribute fliers. "We are also going to be conducting a candidate's forum so those who are runnin g could introduce themselves and their platforms," said a village resident in D araga, Albay. In Laguna, candidates attended Mass at the start of the campaign period to pray for victory. In San Pablo City, candidates had themselves blessed by their parish priest aft er attending Mass as their way of ensuring that they win. Palawan's largest village in terms of land area and population, Barangay San Pe dro, has more than 300 candidates vying for seven slots in the village council. "Many are running for council member for the allowance. It is a measure of unem ployment and the lack of livelihood in the place," Ruel Caralipio, a radio stat ion manager, said. In many villages in Cebu City, candidates launched their campaign early Friday with motorcades for the well-funded and house-to-house visits for those with sm all campaign kitty. In Leyte, a barangay captain in Tacloban City admitted that she would pay each voter as much as P500 in return for their support. She is facing four rivals fo r the post she has held for the past five years. Lorenzo Castellano, who was village chief of Ortiz in Iloilo City for 12 years, said vote-buying was also happening in the village elections although these we re supposedly a non-partisan exercise. Castellano, who is running for barangay councilor, said candidates were spendin g larger amounts to win because the monthly honorarium for officials was signif icant, especially in big villages. He said some candidates were spending from P50-P100 to buy votes. While candidates are only allowed to spend P3 per voter, campaign materials hav e become expensive and sophisticated. In the past, candidates used posters made from sacks, Manila paper or cartolina but some candidates had glossy pictures and slogans on tarpaulins, Castellano said. Campaign handbills used to be handwritten but these have been photocopied or pr inted, he added. In Cebu City, some candidates have their own headquarters blaring campaign jing les while others have to make do with handing out handbills or pasting campaign posters. Still others showed their well-funded campaign machinery during the first day o f the campaign period by holding a motorcade. In Maguindanao, provincial administrator Norie Unas said 90 percent of elective posts in the province's 234 villages would not be contested in the elections. The situation is similar to what took place in the province during the May 14 e lections, when most elective posts were dominated by politicians identified wit h Gov. Datu Andal Ampatuan. "Barangay candidates who were endorsed from the level of community caucuses wil l be unopposed. And there are still efforts in the consultation level to make i t 100-percent unopposed, depending on the outcome of further consultation," Una s said. In Digos City in Davao del Sur, candidates wearing colorful t-shirts distribute d leaflets with their superimposed photos and asking people to vote for them. But in rebel-influenced areas, the mood is different. In at least five villages of Pikit in North Cotabato, security remains uncertain. Mohali Salik, whose group petitioned the Comelec to move the voting from Rajamu da, Baguinged, Buliok Proper, Barongis and Kabasalan to Gli-Gli, said armed men had been warning residents against voting on Oct. 29. In Parang, Sharif Kabunsuan, Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Mu slim Mindanao (ARMM) said he was seeking the help of Muslim religious leaders f or the conduct of peaceful balloting. The police said 199 of the region's 2,475 villages were deemed risky for both v oters and candidates because of the presence of armed groups. In Pagadian City, the village elections have become an opportunity for at least seven local journalists to enter politics. One of them is running for village chair while six others are aspiring to be council members. Reports from Gabriel Cardinoza, Peter La. Julian, Melvin Gascon, Delmar Cariño, Cristi na Arzadon, Vincent Cabreza and Desiree Caluza, Inquirer Northern Luzon, and Ru ssell Arador, Anselmo Roque, Tonette Orejas, Carmela Reyes and Greg Refraccion, Inquirer Central Luzon; Ephraim Aguilar, Jaymee Gamil, Romulo Ponte, Gerald Ge ne Querubin, and Madonna Virola, Inquirer Southern Luzon; Junex Napallacan, Nes tor Burgos Jr., Carla Gomez, Joey Gabieta and Ven Labro, Inquirer Visayas; Nash Maulana, Edwin Fernandez, Allan Nawal, Aquiles Zonio, Charlie Señase and Denn is Santos, Inquirer Mindanao]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11144 2007-10-19T04:58:43Z 2010-01-08T12:45:17Z

By DJ Yap Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--Candidates running for barangay (village) or Sangguniang K abataan (youth council) posts in Makati City were warned not to violate electio n laws on the posting of campaign materials, lest they get fined. The city...

By DJ Yap Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--Candidates running for barangay (village) or Sangguniang K abataan (youth council) posts in Makati City were warned not to violate electio n laws on the posting of campaign materials, lest they get fined. The city government of Makati, through its environmental services department, a lso asked the candidates to minimize the use of campaign posters and to post th em only on exterior walls allowed by the Commission on Elections. "These campaign materials are eyesores and we do not want our city to be litter ed with them," city environment department chief Danilo Villas said on Thursday . "Now that we are approaching the official campaign period, which will start on October 19, we must step up our efforts to ensure that our environmental and el ection laws are upheld in Makati," he said. He called on the candidates to comply with the city's ordinance prohibiting the defacement of walls and public spaces and avoid posting campaign materials on walls and lampposts along major roads. Villas said his office has been directed to remove all campaign materials poste d outside the Comelec designated areas, in accordance with the Makati Solid Was te Code as well as election laws covering campaign materials. Under the Code, individual violators are fined P1, 000, while organizations are required to pay P5, 000. Villas, who also heads the Association of Metro Manila Environment Officers, re minded the candidates that they should first obtain the consent of homeowners i f they wanted to post campaign materials on the walls of private residences. He also urged residents to report candidates seen violating the laws.]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11143 2007-10-17T00:48:52Z 2010-01-08T12:45:17Z

By Inquirer CABANATUAN CITY--The practice of courting the endorsement of the Iglesia ni Cri sto, a religious organization known to practice bloc voting, is not the exclusi ve domain of candidates for national and local government positions. In the run...

By Inquirer CABANATUAN CITY--The practice of courting the endorsement of the Iglesia ni Cri sto, a religious organization known to practice bloc voting, is not the exclusi ve domain of candidates for national and local government positions. In the run up to the Oct. 29 synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK ) elections, some candidates for SK positions have started seeking the endorsem ent of local INC ministers to push their candidacies. Early start A candidate for SK chair in a northern Nueva Ecija city said she went to the of fice of the local INC minister to seek his help in her candidacy. She said her father, who knows the minister, accompanied her and together they asked for an endorsement of her candidacy to the young members of the group. The minister, she said, was non-committal and said he would study her request. The candidate, a senior high school student who declined to be identified to av oid accusations of early campaigning, said she knew that other candidates in th eir village, both for the SK and barangay council elections, have already appro ached the minister to seek his endorsement. Influence âI was told that the members of INC deliver solid votes. That was the reason wh y we approached the minister. His endorsement will be a big help for me since t here are many members of his group in our village,â the candidate said. In Isabela, the police have tightened security preparations for the barangay an d SK elections in at least 199 villages where communist rebels are known to be operating. Senior Supt. Dominador Aquino Jr., Isabela police director, said he has ordered an intensified monitoring of these villages to stop any violent incident in th e run up to the elections. âWe have to work on this matter because the police have been [one of the] prima ry forces against communist rebels,â he said. Aquino said the villages they are watching are in the towns of Benito Soliven, Echague, Jones, San Mariano and San Agustin. Anselmo Roque, Inquire r Central Luzon, and Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon]]> tag:blogs.inquirer.net,2007:/eleksyon2007//40.11142 2007-10-15T15:55:28Z 2010-01-08T12:45:17Z

By Charlie Señase Inquirer Mindanao Bureau COTABATO CITY--Acting Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Resurreccion B orra has reminded provincial, city, and town poll officials to disseminate reso lutions pertaining to the October 29 barangay (village) and youth polls. "It is...

By Charlie Señase Inquirer Mindanao Bureau COTABATO CITY--Acting Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Resurreccion B orra has reminded provincial, city, and town poll officials to disseminate reso lutions pertaining to the October 29 barangay (village) and youth polls. "It is imperative that candidates in the Barangay and the Sangguniang Kabataan elections and the public in general are aware of the Comelec guidelines," said city election registrar Arlan Mangelen in paraphrasing Borra's latest directive . Significantly raised was Comelec Resolution 8230 which pertains to the use of c ampaign and other propaganda materials of which a candidate is only allowed to spend P3 per voter. Mangelen said poster sizes should not exceed two feet by three feet and must on ly be displayed within the designated common poster areas. The Comelec official also reminded candidates of the October 18 deadline for th e filing of their certificates of candidacy. While the liquor and gun bans are being enforced until November 13, the Comelec has set the campaign period from October 19 to 27.]]>