Category: 2016 elections

LP SOCE case being eyed for oust-Leni operation?

Published by Ellen on January 13, 2017

When relations were okay. Vice President Leni Robredo pays courtesy call on President Rodrigo R. Duterte at the Malacañan Palace, July 4, 2016. Malacanang photo by King Rodriguez.

Amid the many items in media not favorable to Vice President Leni Robredo- LeniLeaks, banned from cabinet meetings, dis-invited by Malacanang in New Year vin d’honneur, drop in satisfaction ratings – another one came up the other day.

We were told that the Supreme Court is expected very soon to release its decision on the case concerning the extension of the deadline by the Commission on Elections for the filing of statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCE) for the Liberal Party last June.

“If the High Court decided that there was a breach of the rule by the Comelec, the election of all Liberal Party candidates would be invalidated. That would include the election of Robredo,” a friend told me.

Comelec probes Duterte’s campaign finance

Published by Ellen on October 26, 2016

By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL, VERA Files The Commission on Elections Campaign Finance Office (CFO) has started looking into campaign finance records of President Rodrigo Duterte…

Questions remain about some senator winners in May election

Published by Ellen on July 20, 2016

Sen. Serge Osmeña. Photo by Josh Lim (Sky Harbor)

When 17th Congress opens on July 25, the Senate will have a new set of 12 legislators -winners of the senatorial race in the recent May 9 elections.

Not all are new faces in the Senate because there were re-electionists like Franklin Drilon, Tito Sotto, and Ralph Recto. There were also the balik-Senado, former senators who ran again like Panfilo Lacson, Richard Gordon, Francis Pangilinan, and Miguel Zubiri.

The first timers are boxing champ Manny Pacquiao; Risa Hontiveros, who is dubbed as the Senate’s Pia Wurtzbach because like the 2015 Miss Universe, she made it to the Senate on her third attempt; TESDAman Joel Villanueva; former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima; and former Valenzuela (1st district) Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian.

They join the 12 other senators whose term will be ending in 2019. Four of the last termers ran for vice presidebt last election but lost: Alan Peter Cayetano, Franciz Escudero, Gregorio Honasan, and Antonio Trillanes IV. One, Grace Poe, was not successful in her presidential bid.

The rest of the members of the 17th Senate are Loren Legarda,Aquilino Pimentel III, Cynthia Villar, JV Ejercito ,Sonny Angara,Bam Aquino, and Nancy Binay.

The President wears the PH flag

Published by Ellen on June 30, 2016

President Duterte wears a PH flag while his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III ,sticks to yellow ribbon.

When outgoing president Benigno Aquino III and incoming president Rodrigo Duterte met yesterday for the traditional turnover of the reins of the government, the big difference between the two was very much noticeable by the small item they each wore on their left chest.

Aquino was wearing his yellow ribbon pin, which to many, symbolized the exclusivity of his administration to friends, relatives and like-minded others. Duterte, on the other hand, was wearing a Philippine flag pin which was seen as a symbol of what he said in his speech, “I was elected to the presidency to serve the entire country. I was not elected to serve the interests of any one person or any group or any one class. I serve every one and not only one.”

There was a tense moment towards the end of Duterte’s 14-minute inaugural speech, when after saying “Why am I here?” he said, “ Hindi kasali ito diyan. (This is not included there).

There was laughter, then a 13- second pause.

Waiting for Duterte’s metamorphosis

Published by Ellen on June 28, 2016

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte. Photo by Dana Batnag.

Tomorrow, June 30, President Benigno Aquino III steps down as the 15th president of the Philippines and Rodrigo R. Duterte becomes the 16th president of the Philippines.

From now on, every pronouncement of Duterte will be official. If he curses, every putang ina will have the stamp of the presidency.

A source who was present during Duterte’s meeting with the ambassadors of the United States, United Kingdom and Germany two weeks ago, said the then president-elect was a far cry from what foul-mouthed Duterte they saw in press conferences and speaking engagements. He was “prim and proper” and uttered only pleasant statements, he said.

But he said, “It was surreal.” One can see and feel that he was not in his natural self and that something from within was raring to come out.

Duterte had promised that once he has taken his oath as president of the Philippines, “There will be a metamorphosis.”

Why doesn’t Roxas just pay fine for SOCE non-filing?

Published by Ellen on June 19, 2016

Mar Roxas concedes. Photo by Luis Liwanag.

Would it be a less stressful option for Mar Roxas, Liberal Party presidential candidate in the May 9, 2016 presidential election not to file at all a Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE)?

He didn’t win anyway so there’s no position that he would be prevented from assuming because he does not have the Certificate of Formal compliance that is issued by the Commission on Elections to those who have complied with the submission of their SOCEs.
What happened to ousted Laguna Governor Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito would not happen to him.

It will be recalled that Ejercito of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino won over Edgar San Luis of the Liberal Party in the 2013 gubernatorial race in Laguna but he was removed from office in 2014 when Comelec upon the complaint of San Luis, determined that Ejercito exceeded expenditure limits in the 2013 elections. Ejercito’s TV ad expenses was one of the proofs Comelec had for his overspending.

Panelo wants to be ambassador to London?

Published by Ellen on June 14, 2016

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo with reporters in Davao, June 8, 2016. Photo from Charie Villa.

We are going to miss Atty. Salvador Panelo as presidential spokesperson.

Incoming president Rodrigo Duterte has a new spokesperson in the person for Ernie Abella, a former pastor.

In the announcement of Peter Laviña, spokesman for the Duterte transition team, of the latest cabinet appointments in his Facebook page, he did not say whether Panelo will also remain as spokesperson with the appointment of Abella.

Sources at the Department of Foreign Affairs, however, said they have been told that Panelo has expressed interest to be the Philippine ambassador to the United Kingdom, which is currently being held by Evan Ralph Garcia, a career officer.

Duterte spokesmen’s damage control statements add insult to injury

Published by Ellen on June 2, 2016

To control the damage wrought by President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s verbal assault on media during his press conference Tuesday justifying the extra-judicial killing of journalists, Peter Laviña, spokesman for Duterte’s transition team said media, his principal’s remarks were “taken out of context, misinterpreted, and misunderstood.”

That is adding insult to injury. That is like saying media did not report accurately Duterte’s statements.

Same thing with Duterte’s spokesman and press secretary Salvador Panelo’s statement that GMA-7 reporter Mariz Umali “should be complimented” for the president-elect wolf-whistling or cat-calling at her when she asked a question.

Cayetano’s Leni remark shows he is not “in” in Duterte’s power group

Published by Ellen on May 31, 2016

Signing of NP-PDP Laban alliance. Photo by Mindanews.

After Congress, acting as National Board of Canvassers, declared last Friday Rodrigo Duterte of PDP-Laban as winner in the presidential contest and Leni Robredo of the Liberal Party for the vice-presidential race in the May 9 elections, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Duterte’s running mate, told media that a cabinet position awaits Robredo.

“Mayor Duterte is reviewing every day names and positions [in the Cabinet], and I think from Day 1 he has been thinking about what job can be given the Vice President-elect,” Cayenato said adding that the position to be given to Robredo would be “tailored to what we heard from her during the campaign that she would like to handle.”

Robredo had said during the campaign that she would be interested in a cabinet position that involved lifting the people from poverty.

The following day, in a press conference with Cayetano beside him (also in attendance was Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza and senator-elect Manny Pacquiao), Duterte said Robredo “never entered my mind,” in the forming of his cabinet.

The President’s live presscon is not under MTRCB’s jurisdiction

Published by Ellen on May 29, 2016

One of Duterte's past midnight press conferences. Photo by Dana Batnag. — One of Duterte’s past midnight press conferences. Photo by Dana Batnag.

Putanginas are staple in incoming president Rodrigo Duterte’s language.

His supporters love it. Mas malutong ang mura, mas malakas ang palakpak. Those were in rallies during the campaign. If parents brought along their children to those events, that was their sole responsibility to expose their children to those kind of gutter language.

In new reports of those rallies, print media don’t spell out the whole words. In TV and radio news reports, where they have time to edit the video, the curses are blipped.

It’s a different situation now that Duterte has won the election. His press conferences, even in the middle of the night or in the wee hours of the morning are aired live with his putanginas heard loud and clear.