By Richel Umel
Inquirer

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines–The special Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBoC) of Lanao del Norte has proclaimed former Iligan City Councilor Vicente “Varf” Belmonte as the winning congressional candidate for the province’s first district, including this city.

Belmonte’s proclamation on Wednesday came after the second division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila finished the canvassing of the certificates of canvass (CoCs) from the district, which also includes the towns of Linamon, Kauswagan, Bacolod, Kolambugan, Maigo, Tubod and Baroy.

Belmonte, of the United Opposition, garnered a total vote of 60,054 over his closest rivals, Angelique Badelles of Kampi (Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino or Partner of the Free Filipino), who took 46,630 votes, and former Lanao del Norte governor Imelda Dimaporo of Lakas, who got 44,343 votes.

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By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–”That’s his karma.”

This was how lawyer Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III described the controversy hounding Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos regarding the allegedly anomalous national broadband network project.

According to dictionary.com, karma is “the action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation.”

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By Christian V. Esguerra, Alcuin Papa

View the NBN contract and related documents

MANILA, Philippines–One man’s scandal can be another man’s excuse.

The controversy hounding Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. has given congressmen yet another reason to justify their move to postpone next month’s barangay (vilage) and youth elections.

Davao Rep. Prospero Nograles Wednesday urged senators to support the House bill resetting the elections to May 2009 if only to allow Abalos to concentrate on his “defense” in the $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) project.

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MAY 29, 2009 will be very close to the 2010 presidential election.

That would be a good justification to postpone it again, perhaps to coincide with the 2010 elections. Meaning, no new faces in those mostly squatter barangay halls. Meaning, the pretty well-greased barangay gentlemen will implement the orders from the chain of command. All these made possible on the walking orders of the Lower House.

What will stop the fifth column of the administration from any advance is our Senate, hopefully.

– Valdemar B Tamayo, Kamuning, Quezon City (via e-mail)

THE SK [Sangguniang Kabataan] should be abolished. If the idea is to train the youth to be leaders, a law should be passed to strengthen instead the schools’ student councils. This way the students will be able to apply their learning and skills among their peers.

Barangay polls must proceed — this is the only means to change errant barangay leaders. We need to change most of these barangay officials knowing how ineffective they are in governing and administering to the needs of their constituents.

We should not be again experiencing their inadequacies [in] tend[ing] to our needs. All we can see are barangay halls that have never given any good administration to the citizenry.

– Raul Loreto, Novaliches, Quezon City