Category: 2010 elections

Three critical turnovers

Published by Ellen on January 24, 2010

There are three changes that would be happening in May and June that should be a cause of concern for the Filipino people.

No, we are not talking about the presidency. It’s not the replacement of Gloria Arroyo after June 30, 2010 that we are worried about. It’s more of she might be replacing herself.

The most discussed impending change is in the judiciary, when Chief Justice Reynato Puno retires on May 17.
Article VIII, Section 4(1) of the Constitution states that any vacancy in the Supreme Court shall be filled within 90 days of the occurrence. Gloria Arroyo’s minions say that she can appoint Puno’s replacement because he term ends on June 30.
However, Article VII, Section 15 of the Constitution prohibits midnight appointments . It states that after two months immediately before the next presidential election and up to the end of his/her term, a President or acting President shall not make appointments except temporary appointments to executive positions when continued vacancies will prejudice or endanger public safety.

The egotist

Published by Ellen on January 24, 2010

Editorial
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The presidential bid of Joseph Estrada can be summarized in three words: it is about I, Me and Myself. He is the male counterpart of the faded silent movie-era star Nora Desmond in Billy Wilder’s classic film, “Sunset Boulevard.” It tells of a failed screen writer who gravitates to Desmond, who dreams of making a cinematic comeback. In the end she kills the screenwriter in a jealous fit, and ends up losing all touch with reality, thinking that the news crews covering the murder are a film crew that has begun filming her comeback role.

One of the Nora Desmond character’s famous lines is “I am big! It’s the pictures that got small.” In his mind, Joseph Estrada is still the big shot matinee idol, champion and idol of the masses; but the reality is it’s his fantasy of relevance that has enlarged over time even as his box office and electoral clout has diminished. This is not to say that the clout has evaporated totally or that he hasn’t retained his fan base. He obviously still does.

The surveys show him increasing his percentage but it needs to be asked if this is purely a function of his reclaiming his constituency, or more the interaction of official concessions and that constituency rallying because of these unexpected signs of official favor.

Prior to Estrada’s throwing his hat into the ring, the legal consensus was that the Constitution prohibited former presidents from seeking the presidency. This was a view we believe was widely shared by the public. The Palace, for its part, had tried to limit Estrada’s freedom of political action by holding over his head a condition in his pardon that stated he would give up political aspirations. But when the deadline for the filing of candidacies for 2010 approached, the Palace itself announced it had no intention of blocking his comeback plans.

Noynoy: Read my lips: No new taxes

Published by Ellen on January 21, 2010

Says P1 trillion lost to graft under GMA

by Ashzel Hachero
Malaya

Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III yesterday vowed not to impose new taxes or even increase tax rates if he is elected president.

“My vision is to transform our country into one where we have lower tax rates enjoyed by all, rather than have some enjoy absolute tax exemptions while we burden the rest of the economy with very high tax rates,” Aquino said.

Aquino spoke before businessmen and the diplomatic corps during the “Presidential Candidate Series” sponsored by the Makati Business Club at the Manila Peninsula Hotel.

Aquino’s “no new taxes” approach was similar to then US presidential candidate George H. W. Bush’s famous phrase “Read my lips: No new taxes” at the 1998 Republican National Convention when he accepted the nomination.

“With universal low tax rates, we will encourage entrepreneurs and enterprises to invest and create jobs in any industry,” Aquino said to wide applause from the audience.

He said an Aquino administration will pursue the rationalization of fiscal incentives to investors to lower the budget deficit and stem revenue losses.

The Plot

Published by Ellen on January 21, 2010

Now, that the specter of a failure of elections is becoming more and more real, the senate presidency becomes a crucial position.

Under the law on succession, in case of a vacancy in the presidency, the vice president takes over. If the VP is unable to assume the presidency, next in line is the senate president and then the speaker of the House of Representatives. If the there is no one qualified, Congress shall pass a law to provide who shall serve as acting president until the president or vice president shall have been elected and qualified.

But what if no winner is declared for the national positions by June 30, 2010., when Gloria Arroyo’s stolen presidency ends? There would be no Congress to pass the law. The remaining 12 senators would not consitute a quorum to elect a senate president to replace the current senate president, Juan Ponce Enrile,who is running for re-election,

There would a political vacuum and that’s very dangerous. Enrile had mentioned the possibility of a military takeover.

Lito Banayo, in his column in Malaya last Wednesday, mentioned a plot to depose Enrile and install a pro-Gloria senate president who would serve as acting president. Joker Arroyo? Edgardo Angara? Manny Villar? (Come to think of it,Villar’s term for senator is still up to 2013. If he loses the presidency, he goes back to the Senate.)

It’s a go for Erap

Published by Ellen on January 20, 2010

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) 2nd Division on Wednesday junked separate petitions seeking the disqualification of former President Joseph Estrada in the 2010 presidential elections.

In its resolution, the poll body said it junked the petitions filed by lawyers Ely Pamatong, Evelio Formento and Merelo Estrada due to lack of merit.

“Let the people decide who will be the next president,” the Comelec ruled.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the petitioners could still a file a motion for reconsideration before the commission en banc.

Pwede ng botohin ang Ang Ladlad

Published by Ellen on January 16, 2010

Mabuti naman at naisama ang Ang Ladlad, ang grupo na magtatanggol ng karapatan ng isang tao laban sa diskriminasyun dahil sa kanyang kasarian o gender, sa listahan ng partylist groups na mapagpilian ng mga botante sa nalalapit na eleksyun sa Mayo.

Umabot sa 144 ang listahan ng mga partylist groups na maaring pagpilian ng mga botante na magiging kinatawan ng mga sinasabi nating marginalized sector o bahagi ng ating lipunan na hindi nabigyan ng sapat na oportunidad para umunlad.

Hindi ko nakita sa listahan ang Magdalo, ng mga makabayang sundalo na kasamahan ni Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. Ito ang isang pagkakamali ng Comelec na kailangan pa iwasto.

Nothing quite bold

Published by Ellen on January 15, 2010

by Lito Banayo
Malaya

My friend Jun Campillo invited me to the Presidential Policy Forum sponsored by the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation of which he is one of the main movers, and I am glad I went. There is a difference between watching a forum on television, no matter if live, as against being right there where it unfolds.

The forum, held at the AIM Conference Center, was mainly focused on the country’s external relations and international competitiveness, which are the primary concerns of the policy center named after one of our history’s top diplomats, and is ably presided over by his son, himself a seasoned diplomat, former ambassador and foreign minister Bobby Romulo.

Only three of the five major presidentiables went to yesterday’s jam-packed forum – Gilbert Teodoro, Dick Gordon and Manny Villar. The audience was pretty distinguished, with foreign diplomats and heads of multinational agencies, foreign trade chambers, credible business community leaders, media, and even a former president, Fidel V. Ramos. Erap probably dodged the forum wisely. That crowd would not have warmed up to him, nor he to them. But Noynoy should have been around. Most in the audience empathize with him and Mar. His absence became more felt when FVR asked the obvious when he stood up to ask the last question – “Where are the others?”

Perlas, Danny Lim make it to official list of candidates in May polls

Published by Ellen on January 14, 2010

by Andreo Calonzo, GMANews.TV

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday approved the candidacies of environmentalist Nicanor Perlas and detained former Army general Danilo Lim, reversing an earlier decision excluding the two from the official list of candidates in the May 10 national elections.

Through Resolution 8743, the Comelec en banc announced that presidential aspirant Perlas and Liberal Party senatorial bet Lim have been included in the final list of candidates for the elections.

Perlas’ entry in the presidential rase raises the number of candidates vying for the highest electoral post in May to nine.

Was the music used in Gibo’s jingle stolen? Dennis Garcia says “No”

Published by Ellen on January 10, 2010

Checked my email upon arriving from LA and found a note from Dennis Garcia, whom I admire for his wit and creativity,about a controversy on the jingle used in a Gilbert Teodoro ad.

Had to make a quick google search on the issue and this is what I got from GMA News on line:

Rico Blanco, formerly of the rock band Rivermaya, has demanded that administration presidential bet Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. stop using his song “Posible” in the politician’s video ad.

The campaign jingle changed the lyrics to “Sulong Gibo (Go, Gibo!)” from the original “Sulong, laban (Go, fight!)” in the song’s refrain.

In a statement released to the media on Saturday, Blanco, through Warner Music Philippines Artist Management, said the use of his song “Posible” in Teodoro’s latest campaign advertisement did not have his consent. Garcia refutes this and sent a copy of his agreement with Liza Nakpil, registered publisher of the song.

“Her” man

Published by Ellen on January 8, 2010

by Lito Banayo
Malaya

The last reputable surveys done after the filing of certificates of candidacy show three presidential candidates at the top: Noynoy Aquino in the mid to high forties, Manny Villar and Erap Estrada in a virtual tie at 20 or 19 percentage points. And Gilbert Teodoro, the man anointed by the once humongous Partido Lakas-Kampi founded by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, incumbent and long-staying president of the benighted republic, at low single-digit numbers. The rest are also-rans, at 1 percentage point or even lower.

Why the regime’s anointed is languishing at bottom lows, despite the vaunted party machinery, the well-placed ads projecting competence and intelligence (“galing at talino”), and despite inarguably better speaking and debating skills than the competition, is attributable to the public belief that he is “Gloria’s man”, the chosen “one”, the person she deems most fit to succeed and most acceptable to her. Unfortunately for him, the person who chose him above all else happens to be most distrusted by the population. That distrust for his patroness drags Gibo down, never mind his personal qualities. It carries over to his persona, reinforced in no small measure by his having expressed not only the usual paeans of gratitude, but a public admiration for her “ many achievements”, something clearly the people do not share. To do a volte face at this time will no longer be credible. Gilbert Teodoro’s chances are thus virtually nil. Even Ronaldo Puno’s vaunted skills cannot resurrect flagging hopes. Nor Virgilio Garcillano’s magic make the trick. Perhaps if Norberto Gonzales succeeds in discombobulating everything and upsetting the applecart of elections… perhaps, but that’s a big IF, and assuming the guy and his patroness can pull it through, will the people ever be so supine as to take such adventurism lying down?