By Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has accredited the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) as its citizen’s arm for the October 29 Barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) elections.

In a resolution, the Comelec en banc granted the PPCRV’s August 10 petition seeking accreditation.

The Comelec said that it has considered PPCRV’s commendable participation in past electoral exercises as well as its commitment toward honest, clean, credible, and peaceful elections, for its accreditation of the group.

It added, the PPCRV has also sufficiently complied with the Comelec’s accreditation rules.

The Comelec said that the PPCRV will conduct poll watching and assist voters in various precincts, and assist the Comelec in providing voter’s information and values education in municipalities, cities and provinces. Beverly T. Natividad

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 Jerome Aning
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–The Commission on Elections on Saturday scored the lawyer of former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol for saying that the latter’s camp expected the poll body to uphold its earlier decision to convict Bedol for contempt.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Bedol’s lawyer Andrei Tagum showed his contempt for the Comelec after he admitted that Bedol was “half-expecting” the Comelec to junk his motion for reconsideration.

“If we go by the history of the commission, I don’t think they have ever reversed their decision because that would be an admission that they erred,” Tagum was quoted as saying in media reports.

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FILIPINOS are entitled to one vote each. It represents the heart and soul of a person who is longing that his voice will be heard, though faint in the millions of votes.

Shave a vote and you kill entirely that faint voice and literally, the essence of that person’s right to suffrage. The Philippines, Mindanao in particular, has become a graveyard of honest election watchers, teachers and volunteers. It has also become a stinking place of dishonest government appointees like Lintang Bedol.

Justice, strike where you need to strike and I will be there to believe in your name. Justice, hear the last breath of heroes that died looking for you.

– Rynor Jamandre, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig (via e-mail)

CAN the government tolerate this kind of treatment they are receiving from [Maguindanao provincial election supervisor Lintang Bedol] Bedol? Is he more untouchable than Garci [former Commission on Elections Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano]?

Why was he in the Comelec in the first place? Bedol is the kind of person who can mingle with the Muslim rebels anytime he wants because he will always be welcomed by them.

Remember Garci’s attire when he gave himself up to the government? Bedol’s antics qualifies him to be a terrorist. A political terrorist who can do anything he wants as long as he is tolerated and well protected by the “padrinos.”

– Andy Paliguiran, Los Angeles, California (via e-mail)