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No way can Comelec postpone May 9 elections

Published by Ellen on March 16, 2016

Former Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, who is now consultant of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, said the Commission on Elections cannot postpone the May 9 elections as it is being floated now.

He said there is only one option for Comelec: “To conduct automated elections on May 9, 2016.”

Former Senator Richard Gordon, principal author of the Automated Elections Law who is vying again for a Senate seat under the Ang Partido ng Galing at Puso of Grace Poe, also finds unacceptable the reasons put forward by Comelec officials why they cannot comply with the High Court’s decision. ““Kung gusto, may paraan. Kung ayaw maraming dahilan,” he said.

The idea of postponing the May 9 elections (election lawyer Romulo Makalintal mentioned June 9 as the alternative date) followed the order of Supreme Court last week to the Comelec to “enable the vote verification feature of the vote-counting machines which prints the voter’s choices…”

Gordon to Comelec officials: ‘If you cannot do the job, resign.’

Published by Ellen on March 14, 2016

It’s as simple as that.

Former Senator Richard Gordon who is running again for the Senate slammed officials of the Commission on Elections for painting a doomsday scenario if they were to comply with the Supreme Court decision to have the election machines on May 9 issue receipts of the voter’s vote.

He said postponing the May 9 elections is out of the question. “The Comelec is painting a doomsday scenario so that we will be afraid. It will not happen. What they should paint is they can do it. If they do not want to do it, stop giving excuses, leave your job and give it to somebody who can do the job,” said the principal author of the Election Computerization law and one of the petitioners who asked the High Court to compel the election body to follow the law.

In a vote of 14-0, the High Court last Tuesday ordered the Comelec to “enable the vote verification feature of the vote-counting machines which prints the voter’s choices…”

With SC decision, expect donations to flow into Grace Poe’s campaign

Published by Ellen on March 8, 2016

Grace Poe at International Women's Day in Liwasang Bonifacio — Grace Poe at International Women’s Day in Liwasang Bonifacio

It was an obviously elated Grace Poe that came to the Liwasang Bonifacio to celebrate International Women’s Day organized by the militant women’s group, Gabriela, yesterday.

She had just received word that the Supreme Court, voting 9-6, junked the disqualification decisions of the Commission on Elections on the issues of citizenship and residency and declared that she is qualified to run for the presidency of the Philippines.

Aquino appoints Almendras foreign secretary

Published by Ellen on March 8, 2016

Rene Almendras at the World Economic Forum

With only three months left of his term, President Aquino appointed his cabinet secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras, 56, as foreign secretary.

Press Secretary Herminio Coloma announced tonight that “President Aquino has appointed Jose Rene Almendras as ad interim Secretary of Foreign Affairs, according to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. He replaces Secretary Albert del Rosario whose resignation took effect today.”

An ad interim appointment, made while Congress is in recess, allows the appointee to perform the functions and powers of the position until rejected by the Commission on Appointments.

A classmate of Aquino, Almendras first joined the Aquino cabinet in 2010 as energy secretary. He was later brought to Malacañang amid reports of gross inefficiency in Malacanang and the rivalry between the Mar Roxas allies (known as Balay group) and the Samar group,those who went for the Aquino-Binay in the 2010 elections.

China makes sure Jackson Atoll won’t be another Ayungin

Published by Ellen on March 6, 2016

Jackson Atoll, five coral islets surrounding a lagoon

The Chinese have not occupied Jackson Atoll (Philippine name is Quirino and Wufang Jiao in Chinese) in the Spratlys, as erroneously reported in Philippines media.

Not yet.

But the Chinese were there last December as related by the spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Hong Lei in his regular press briefing last March 2.

Hong said “At the end of the year 2015, a foreign vessel was grounded near Wufang Jiao of China’s Nansha islands. The owner of the vessel tried many times to tow it away but failed. He then decided to abandon the ship and dismantled and took away its main equipment. If the vessel was left aground for a long time, it might cause possible impediment to navigation safety and damage to the marine environment. Therefore, China Rescue and Salvage of Ministry of Transport recently sent salvage ships to tug the grounded vessel out of the shallow water for proper disposal. During the operation, the Chinese side advised fishing boats near the waters to stay away for navigation security and operation safety. The Chinese ships have returned after the operation.”

Is that so?

Published by Ellen on March 3, 2016

Fact-checking Mar and Chiz on their claims about poverty in their respective province.

Creative image makers are very much in demand this election campaign.

In the candidates efforts to boost their credentials to the public or to hide unpleasant information about them, they tell stories – some true, some false. There is no dearth of image-specialists that candidates can tap to re-package themselves to what appeals to the voters.

Packaging is the thing. Never mind the truth.

Voting for a candidate is no different from buying a merchandise. You want to get the real deal. Just like when you buy honey, you want honey syrup made by bees. Not a thick syrup that is half sugar.

To help voters see beyond the nice packaging of the candidates, VERA Files is doing a fact check.

‘Talk to Mayor’

Published by Ellen on February 28, 2016

Mayor appropriates parking slot for PWD. Photo from ASTIG.PH

Going the rounds in Facebook is a post by Candy Chan in Astig.Ph about a vehicle by a mayor that was parked in a slot reserved for Persons with Disabilities at Bay 4 of NAIA3. When the security guard called the attention of the man who came out of the driver seat, he insolently replied, “Kausapin mo si Mayor (Talk to the Mayor.)

The incident happened more than two months ago, Dec. 19. We are re-telling the incident because we have not seen any report who was the mayor who violated the law, Republic Act No. 7277 known as the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities, and if he and his driver were made accountable for their misdeed.

As related by ASTIG.PH complete with pictures, a certain HJ was waiting at MIAA Bay 5 when a black Toyota Fortuner with plate number VRB 202 marked Mayor parked right next to the sign that indicated the space was reserved for PWDs.

Dominant thoughts re Edsa One: We wasted it

Published by Ellen on February 25, 2016

The Edsa jump. Fidel Ramos and Juan Ponce-Enrile jubillant as they announced defections of Marcos people to the rebels' side. — The Edsa jump. Fidel Ramos and Juan Ponce-Enrile jubillant as they announced defections of Marcos people to the rebels’ side.

Edsa30 celebration has revived memories of that important event in our history as a freedom-loving people.

From the recollections, one can glean a deep sense of disappointment, of our failure not to have used our regained freedom into building genuine democracy- wherein people would have the opportunities to pursue their dreams of a better life.

Mark Lopez shared his insights of EDSA One in Facebook: “I was 17 when EDSA 1 happened and my family and I were there, together with the millions who want change. It was surreal and it was indeed a triumphant moment when news of Marcos family fleeing was confirmed. In the immediate aftermath, all I could think of was that our country will now be on the cusp of true progress and development. Of course the foremost celebration was for the reinstatement of democracy and freedom to be a Filipino.

“”Thirty years after, I now cringe at what went by after EDSA1. I really don’t know what it is in our psyche that we continue to celebrate democracy but we also embraced mediocrity, especially in governance.

“We may be free, but we are still slaves to indifference, to corruption, and to greed. Do we really deserve this?”

EDSA30

Published by Ellen on February 24, 2016

It has been 30 years since that one shining moment in Philippine history when the people came together to put an end to tyranny.

Rebel soldier reading Malaya. Photo by Joe Galvez.

As Che Francisco, a colleague in Ang Pahayagang Malaya, remarked , “Parang kelan lang.”

On this day, Feb. 24, we, in Malaya were covering the fast-changing events non-stop. I was sleeping in the office. Malaya editors were working in a safe house as rumors were swirling about raids of newspapers unfriendly to Marcos.

In the evening after the editorial work, we would go to Camp Crame where Fidel V. Ramos, then the chief of the Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police and then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce-Enrile, were holding fort together with the rebel soldiers and police officers after they declared on Feb. 22 that they were breaking away from then President Ferdinand Marcos who had been in power for 20 years.

Grace Poe took the first presidential debate

Published by Ellen on February 21, 2016

Candidates: Jejomar Binay,Miriam Santiago, Rodrigo Duterte,Grace Poe,Mar Roxas

The winner of the first Comelec-sponsored debates of presidential candidates organized with GMA-7 and Philippine Daily Inquirer based on my monitoring of social media and exchange of notes with friends was Grace Poe.

It’s not a scientific survey, of course.

Political analyst and De La Salle University Professor Richard Heydarian summed up the performance of the candidates as:

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