Category: 2016 elections

Media group raises alarm on harassment of journalists covering political campaign

Published by Ellen on May 6, 2016

Tne National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) has expressed grave concern over the increasing harassment of journalists who are covering the election campaign and asked the candidates to call for calm among their supporters.

NUJP chairman Ryan Rosauro said that in their monitoring of the plight of journaslits in the campaign trail, they “note a pattern of harassments perpetrated by supporters of Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrrigo Duterte.”

They cited the following incidents:

• Vera Files editor Ellen Tordesillas was bullied in social media for her effort to verify the existence of the assailed BPI bank account of Mayor Duterte;

• Alleging biased reporting, supporters harassed numerous times ABS-CBN reporter Raffy Santos while following Duterte in the campaign trail;

• Jacque Manabat was cursed by a supporter after a man identified her as an ABS-CBN reporter;

• A camera crew of ABS-CBN reporter Doris Bigornia was thrown punches during a coverage;

• On Friday morning, May 6, a wreath was laid outside the ABS-CBN station in Davao City bearing the words: “RIP ABS-CBN”;

• There have been calls in social media for an “occupy ABS-CBN” in Davao and Cagayan de Oro cities; and

• There have been numerous posts in social media inciting hate and anger, especially against ABS-CBN reporters.

Larrazabal presses alarm on Comelec’s replacement ballot rule

Published by Ellen on May 5, 2016

As the official who supervised the first automated national elections in 2010, former Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal wants the elections on Monday to succeed. That means for it to be accepted by the Filipino people as honest and credible.

But there are a number of things that the current Comelec leadership is doing that worries Larrazabal.

Yesterday, he wrote again Comelec regarding the last minute insertion of the provision on replacement of ballots. He has written Comelec at least twice earlier raising “the red flag about this provision” but Comelec has not resolved the issue.

In yesterday’s letter, Larrazabal wrote: “Last night, I read a tweet posted by ABS-CBN Reporter Pia Gutierrez which said that, “Comelec: In case ballots run out on election day bec of replacement ballot rule, voter will be asked to vote in nearest neighboring precinct.”

“If this is already in the proposed rules regarding replacement of ballots, this is very alarming as it clearly lacks legal basis,” Larrazabal said.

Delays in implementation of road safety law put children at risk

Published by Ellen on May 4, 2016

By Maria Feona Imperial, VERA Files

Ask all five presidential candidates about their plans for children and most of them would touch on providing classrooms and free lunch for undernourished kids.

When it comes to transport issues, they would often discuss the worsening traffic problem in urban areas and their plans to solve it.

This election season, road safety was almost never talked about. Even if every day, around 263 children fall victim to road crashes, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) estimates.

In three months, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III will step down with a legacy of having enacted a landmark law on child road safety. But that law has yet to be fully implemented, exposing more Filipino children to risks every day.

Ex- Comelec official fears delay in proclamation of winners

Published by Ellen on May 4, 2016

Five days before Election Day, former Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, who supervised the first automated elections in 2010 and is now consultant of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, said there are a still lot of loose ends that need to be tied to make Monday’s election orderly. He is very concerned with very little time left to put things in order.

He wrote Comelec a letter Monday. One of the issues he raised was the procedure adopted by Comelec on the transmission of election results.

Larrazabal wrote: ““In a discussion last night with COMELEC Spokesperson Dir. Jimenez during the show with Ms Tina Monzon-Palma, it was mentioned that there is a proposed protocol in addressing possible scenarios where there may be multiple complaints on discrepancy as what was shaded in the ballot, and what appears in the voter receipt. One suggestion was that there must be a threshold on the number of complaints before the BEIs may request for a replacement VCM (Vote Counting Machine). I think this should be explored further by the Commission En Banc.”

Larrazabal said the contingency measures laid down by Comelec would result in a situation where “ the City of Municipal board of canvassers cannot transmit the results of the canvassing results of their board, ‘until results from all main SD cards have been imported’”.

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista. Photo by Daniel Abunales, VERA Files.

“Which means that the Provincial Board of Canvassers will not receive any Consolidated Results from that BOC. The result would mean that the PBOC or even NBOC will not be able to complete its canvassing, and will NOT be able to proclaim winners on the provincial level (which includes ALL Provincial positions & members of the House of Representatives). This also means that the PBOC will not be able to complete the canvassing for the position of President and Vice-President,” he further said.

The domino effect. Larrazabal said, “ would be that the National Board of Canvassers may not be able to complete the canvassing of votes for the 12 positions of Senator, and Party-list.”

“All told, the above requirement may result in the hijacking of the canvassing of votes, and the proclamation of winners, for the national positions, “Larrazabal gave a possible alarming scenario.

Alerto sa may balak na gawin ang ginawa ni Arroyo kay FPJ noong 2004

Published by Ellen on May 3, 2016

Huwag kalimutan ang pambavbastos ng demokrasya noong 2004. Ipinroklama nina Senate President Franklin Drilon, Speaker Jose deVenecia at Sen. Francis Pangilinan sina Gloria Arroyo at Noli de Castro na nanalong presidente at bise-presidente sa 2004 eleksyun kahit na maraming report ng dayaan. Litrato kuha ni Romy Gacad, Getty Images. — Huwag pumayag na mangyari ang pagyurak ng demokrasya noong 2004 ngayong eleksyun. Ipinroklama nina Senate President Franklin Drilon, Speaker Jose deVenecia at Sen. Francis Pangilinan sina Gloria Arroyo at Noli de Castro na nanalong president at bise-presidente sa 2004 eleksyun kahit na maraming report ng dayaan. Litrato kuha ni Romy Gacad, Getty Images.

Noong 2004 na eleksyun, dinaya ni Gloria Arroyo si Fernando Poe, Jr. ngunit minabuti ng mga ma-iingay na defenders daw ng demokrasya na magbulag-bulagan at magbingi-bingian dahil minamata nila si FPJ.

Pang-pelikula lang siya, walang alam sa pamamahala ng bansa, sabi ng miyembro ng “civil society” na siyang nanguna sa pagpatalsik kay Ferdinand Marcos noong 1986 at kay Joseph Estrada noong 2001.

Marami sa kanila ngayon ay kasama sa pamahalaang Aquino at nanga-ngampanya para kay Mar Roxas.

Naala-ala nyo noong canvassing ng boto sa Kongreso noong 2004 na tuwing mag-reklamo ang mga miyembro ng oposisyun na sina Sen. Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr, Tessie Aquino- Oreta at Serge Osmeña ng mga results ng eleksyun sa mga lugar sa Maguindanao na mas marami ang boto kaysa bilang ng mga rehistradong botante, ang aksyon lang ni Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, na kasama sa canvassers, ay pumukpok ng malyete sabay sabing “Noted?” Lumabas ang “Hello Garci” tapes isang taon matapos ang eleksyun at doon napatunayan ang malawakang pandaraya na ginawa ni Arroyo.

Duterte’s tactics show truth is not on his side in conflict with Trillanes

Published by Ellen on May 2, 2016

Update: Video of the BPI Faceoff by Luis Liwanag:

If you have to resort to lies in a conflict, it only indicates that you are not on the side of truth.

Vice presidential candidate Antonio Trillanes IV

It’s becoming obvious that the expose of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV of Davao City Mayor Duterte’s bank transactions that can go up to as much as P2.4 billion has hit hard the frontrunner in the May 9 presidential elections, more than his infamous rape comment.

Although I seriously doubt if this latest controversy would bring him down from number one in the race, the issue would hound him even if he wins the presidency.

So far, his actions are that of a person twisting and digging himself in a quicksand.

When Trillanes IV first made his expose alleging that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is not the poor and honest public servant that he presents himself to the public because he had more than P200 million in his BPI Julia Vargas branch account in 2014 which he did not include in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN), Duterte called the senator a “liar” and dismissed the bank account as a “fabrication.”

The evolution of Duterte’s BPI account

Published by Ellen on April 28, 2016

March 14, 2016 – Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte and his running mate Alan Peter Cayetano signed a manifesto waiving their rights under the Bank Secrecy law.

Manifesto, not a legal bank secrecy waiver

In the manifesto, printed on a large piece of cardboard, they pledged “to open all our bank accounts in local and foreign currencies both here and abroad in the interest of transparency and accountability.”

April 27, Wednesday- The Philippine Daily Inquirer carried the expose of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who is running for vice president as an independent candidate and is carrying Grace Poe as his vice president, that Duterte, who is now the frontrunner in the presidential race, has at least P211 million in the bank in 2014 which he did not declare when he filed his Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Networth (SALN) in 2014.

Marcos is INC’s choice for VP, undecided yet for president

Published by Ellen on April 27, 2016

Bongbong Marcos with LP Cagayan De Oro Rep. Klarex Uy in a Marcos campaign caravan Friday last week. Photo from Marcos media

A member of the influential Iglesia ni Cristo said the church leadership has called vice presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr, to tell him that he is their choice for the number two position for the May 9 elections.

“Pinatawag siya (he was asked to come),” the source said.

That is not surprising because the Marcos family has close ties with the Manalo family (The late Felix Manalo founded the INC) since the powerful days of the Marcoses in the 1960’s. In all the elections where Ferdinand Marcos was a candidate, the INC supported him.

In fact in the 1986 snap election, when the INC membership was deeply divided between the beleaguered Marcos and the popular Corazon Aquino, Eraño Manalo, then the executive minister of the church, stuck with Marcos.

The decision to go for Bongbong Marcos was not difficult for the INC leadership because aside from the family friendship, Marcos is leading the vice presidential race. Winnability is a major factor in the decision of the INC who to endorse.

In a close contest, which is what the May 9 elections is turning out to be, the INC vote is crucial.

Duterte violates law prohibiting ridicule of PWDs

Published by Ellen on April 25, 2016

For the information of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who laughed at Persons with Disabilities while regaling his supporters in Aklan last week, there’s a law that prohibits ridicule, vilification, both verbal and non-verbal, against PWDs which can make them lose their self- esteem.

Public ridicule is “making fun or contemptuous imitating or making mockery – in writing or in words, or in action” of PWDs because of their impairment.

The law is Republic Act 9422, an act amending the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.

The law identifies two forms of vilifying PWDs: One, uttering slanderous and abusive statements against them. Two, an activity in public which incites hatred toward serious contempt for, or severe ridicule of PWDs.

Duterte’s cinematic solution to South China Sea conflict

Published by Ellen on April 24, 2016

Duterte's Jetski diplomacy. Photo from Mary Anne Tejada's FB — Duterte’s Jetski diplomacy. Photo from Mary Anne Tejada’s FB

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s proposed solution to the South China territorial conflict would make a thrilling action-packed movie scene.

In a speech before travel executives at the MOA-SMX last Friday (and in all his rally speches) Duterte said, “I will ask the Navy to bring me to the nearest point in South China Sea that is tolerable to them and I will ride a jet ski. I’ll carry a flag and when I reach Spratlys, I will erect the Filipino flag. I will tell them, suntukan o barilan.”