Category: 2010 elections

Local politics: hot spots and confusing alliances

Published by Ellen on April 27, 2010

Since March when Vote 2010 was unveiled in VERA Files website, our local partners have been actively sending us stories which give us a picture of the situation in the provinces this election season.

In Iloilo, Melvin Purzuelo of Green Forum Western Visayas said there is no clear party lines. It’s halo-halo. His report:

“As if the automation of the May 10 polls were not complicated enough, local political formations here are making the upcoming elections more confusing.

“Mayor Jerry Trenas, who is running for congressman, and Vice Mayor Jed Mabilog, who is running for mayor, have formed an alliance with only the two of them as common candidates. Trenas supports the Nacionalista Party (NP) for the national positions while Mabilog is with the Liberal Party (LP).

Mga sigurista at oportunista takbuhan na kay Noynoy

Published by Ellen on April 26, 2010

Huwag lang mangisay si Noynoy Aquino (Liberal Party) habang nangangampanya sa naiwang dalawang linggo bago eleksyun, mukhang siya na ang magiging sunod na pangulo ng Pilipinas.

Sa pinakahuling survey ng Social Weather Station na kinumisyun ng diyaryong Businessworld, lumaki ang lamang niya kay Manny Villar ng Nacionalista Party. Nakakuha siya ng 38 per cent, si Villar ay bumaba ng dalawang puntos (26 percent) kaysa yung nakuha niya sa survey na ginanap noong Marso 19-22.

Si dating Pangulong Joseph Estrada na tumaas rin ng kaunti noon ay bumaba na rin (17 percent) kaya 7 points na ang lamang ni Villars a kanya.

Kaya sa sunod na mga araw, sigurado ang mga sigurista at mga oportunista ay i-endorso si Noynoy. Hindi malayo ang Iglesia ni Kristo , El Shaddai at Pastor Quiboloy hahanay na yan kay Aquino.

Kapag inindorso ng INK si Aquino, ito ang kauna-unahang endorsement na makukuha ng isang Aquino sa religious group na nagdadala daw ng hindi kukulang sa isang milyong boto. Noong Ferdinand Marcos versus Cory Aquino, kay Marcos ang INK.

Noynoy in double digit lead over Villar; Mar firms up lead as Jojo overtakes Loren

Published by Ellen on April 26, 2010

Latest (April 16 -19) survey by Social Weather Station commissioned by Businessworld:

• Liberal Party’s . Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” C. Aquino III gains 38 percent over closest rival, Nacionalista Party’s Manuel Villar,Jr who got 26 percent for a 12-point lead.

• Pwersa ng Masa’s Jejomar “Jojo” C. Binay with 25 per cent overtook Nationalist People’s Coalition ‘s Loren B. Legarda, who got 24 points but Liberal Party’s Manuel “Mar” A. Roxas continues to enjoy a large lead with 39 percent.

• The top 12 in the senatorial race: 1. Ramon “Bong” B. Revilla, Jr. (Lakas-Kampi.CMD); 2. Jose “Jinggoy” E. Estrada (PMP); 3. Miriam Defensor-Santiago ( People’s Reform Party/Nacionalista Party); 4. Juan Ponce-Enrile (PMP); 5. Pia Cayetano (NP); 6. Franklin Drilon (LP);
7. Tito Sotto (NPC/NP); 8. Ralph Recto (LP); 9. Sergio Osmeña III (LP); 10. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. (KBL/NP); 11. Lito Lapid (Lakas-Kampi-CMD); 12. Gilbert Remulla (NP).

Last two minutes: Groups urge Comelec to decide on manual count now

Published by Ellen on April 25, 2010

(Note: VERA Files website is down.While it is being restored, the stories will be posted here.)

By MARK JOSEPH UBALDE
VERA Files

Press con-MBC leaders Alberto Lim and Ramon del Rosario. Gus Lagman in blue.

WITH barely 14 days left before the elections, a multisectoral group is making a last-ditch effort to convince the Commission on Elections to adopt a parallel nationwide manual count to avoid a possible “Automated Garci.”

In a press conference held at Club Filipino Sunday, leaders of concerned groups that include the Makati Business Club and Philippine Bar Association read their open letter to the Comelec, saying the decision on their proposal cannot be delayed beyond April 29 or else the parallel manual count won’t be doable.

“If the Comelec decides after April 29, then we are afraid and gravely concerned that the May 10 elections would remain extremely vulnerable to manipulation and fraud,” they said in the letter that will be given to Comelec on Monday when the poll commissioners meet en banc.

Augusto Lagman, an IT specialist and convenor of TransparentElections.Org, said,“It would only take two to four days to ready the system. The Comelec should ensure accuracy than speed of the results.”

Estrada wows Caviteños

Published by Ellen on April 24, 2010

CAVITE CITY.—Former President Joseph Estrada of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) showed he has not lost his “masa “ appeal despite having been ousted from…

Si Remulla at si Ampatuan

Published by Ellen on April 21, 2010

Kalimutan na ni Gilbert Remulla ang kanyang ambisyon na magiging senador.

Sa kanyang pagbisita sa mga Ampatuan sa Davao noong isang buwan, lumabas na may pagkukulang sa kanyang values o moralidad. Dating journalist pa naman siya.

April 22 -Tumawag sa akin si Gilbert at nasaktan daw siya sa aking sinulat.Sana man lang daw tinanong ko siya bago ko siya binanatan. Sabi niya hindi pa niya ngayon masabi ang detalye ngunit may kinalaman sa “security” ang kanyang pakipagkita sa mga Ampatuan sa Davao.

Sira rin dito si Nacionalista party presidential candidate Manny Villar. Dapat ipakita niya na kaya niya magdisiplina ng kasama na nagkamali. Kung hindi, pareho na sila babagsak.

Si Remulla kasi bayaw ni Sigfrid Fortun, abogado ng mga Ampatuan. Ngayon kasi malakas pa rin ang mga Ampatuan sa Maguindanao. Marami nga sa mga kamag-anak nila ang tumatakbo itong eleksyun at malamang mananalo.

Batangueños give Noy-Mar warm welcome

Published by Ellen on April 19, 2010

I covered the Batangas rally of the Liberal party in Batangas last Saturday. The mood was celebratory. The atmosphere was that of victory- at- hand.…

Two explanations

Published by Ellen on April 18, 2010

Last week, I wrote that “The law doesn’t protect deceit” in connection with the report on the fake psychiatric evaluation of Liberal Party presidential candidate Benigno Aquino III and the refusal of ABS-CBN to name the source of fraud.

I’m running here two statements from ABS-CBN on the issue because I believe that it benefits us all to listen to all sides in any issue.
The first article “Telling it like it is” is by Maria A. Ressa, head of ANS-CBN News and Current Affairs and managing director of ANC.
The other article “Name Your (Anonymous) Sources! “ is by Glenda Gloria, chief operations officer of ANC and member of the board of the Public Trust Media Group.

Telling it like it is
by Maria Ressa

Danny Lim

Published by Ellen on April 17, 2010

Pumunta kami ng aking kapwa reporter na si Dana Batnag ng Jiji Press, isang Japanese news agency , sa Alabel, Sarangani noong isang Linggo dahil gumagawa kami ng report tungkol sa sa kandidatura ni Manny Pacquiao.

Pumunta kami sa palengke. Panay Pacquaio,a ng kanyang kalaban na si Rep. Roy Chiongbian at ng kanilang mga kapartido ang mga posters. Bigla kaming may nakita na malaking poster sa harap ng isang bahay na nagsasabing “Danny Lim for mayor. Ang litrato isang may kapayatan na mama.

Natawa kami dahil iba ang mukha ng Danny Lim na kilala naming na tumatakbo para senador sa tiket ng Liberal Party. Nang lumapit kami, katabi ng “Danny Lim for mayor”, mayroong sticker ng “Danny Lim for senator”.

Inikuwento sa amin ng mga kamag-anak ni Danny Lim for mayor na number one kagawad daw siya ng siyam na taon. Independent daw siya ngunit ang kanyang dinadalang congressman ay si Pacquiao na ang partido ay People’s Champ Movement at luminya sa Nacionalista Party ni Manny Villar sa nasyunal na antas.

Sabi ng kamaganak ni Kagawad Danny Lim na sina Rosa at Alberta, na tumatanaw daw sila ng utang na loob kay Pacquaio dahil tinulungan daw ng boksingero ang kanilang tiya na nangangailangan ng P200,000 para sa kidney transplant.

Mining and the candidates

Published by Ellen on April 16, 2010

Most presidential bets seek new mining code

by Roslyn Arayata
Alyansa Tigil Mina

Majority of the presidential candidates favor a revision of the country’s mining policy, a survey of a network of green groups revealed.

Conducted on the third week of February by the Green Electoral Initiative (GEI) led by EcoWaste Coalition and Greenpeace, the results showed that six of the seven candidates who responded to the GEI survey support the passing of an Alternative Mining Code.
Iloilo City candidates go for Cha-cha

Click here (VERA VILES Vote2010) for the rest of the story.

**************************************************************************************************

Iloilo City candidates go for Cha-Cha

by Melvin Purzuelo
Green Forum-Western Visayas

Iloilo City. —It’s yes to “Cha-cha” and to mining for all three congressional candidates here.