Tag: 2016 elections

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.

Erap endorsement expected to get Mindanao for Poe

Published by Ellen on March 30, 2016

Grace Poe and Col. Ariel Querubin (ret), who she said she will appoint crime czar if she wins presidency.

It was almost midnight when Sen. Grace Poe made it to retired Col. Ariel Querubin’s birthday at the Clubhouse at Camp Aguinaldo last Monday. But she looked happy and energized.

She told the remaining few guests that she came from the proclamation rally of former President Joseph Estrada, who is running for re-election as Manila City mayor, at Plaza Miranda.

She related that Estrada called her up the night before to tell her that he had decided to endorse her.

At the Plaza Miranda rally, Estrada told the cheering crowd, “Mga kasama, mga kaibigan, palakpakan po natin ang aking inaanak, ang susunod na pangulo ng Pilipinas, walang iba kundi si Grace Poe.”

Binay biggest gainer in ‘destroy Grace Poe’ crusade

Published by Ellen on January 17, 2016

Binay's office released this photo to prove that he was not booed in the Sinulog celebration in Cebu — Binay’s office released this photo to prove that he was not booed in the Sinulog celebration in Cebu

The “Eliminate Grace Poe” from the presidential race crusade has benefitted Vice President Jejomar Binay who has regained the lead in the latest survey of candidates for president in the 2016 elections by the Social Weather Stations.

Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas, whose allies in the Commission on Election delivered the strongest blow against Poe, has gained from it a little because he is now in a statistical tie with Poe and another candidate, Rodrigo Duterte. But it doesn’t bring him closer to the presidency because Binay is pulling away.

By helping destroy Poe, Roxas is delivering the presidency to Binay.

It still won’t be Roxas even if Comelec eliminates Poe

Published by Ellen on December 18, 2015

If Pres. Aquino believes the strategy that if Mar Roxas’ lawyers in Comelec succeeds in eliminating Grace Poe from the presidential race, the presidency would be an easy clinch for his anointed, he is dreaming.

If the fight is three-way – Rodrigo Duterte, Jojo Binay and Roxas, Duterte will win.
If it’s between Binay and Roxas, Binay will win.
If it’s between Duterte and Roxas, Duterte will win.

He should take a look at the latest nationwide survey by the Magdalo Group conducted last Dec. 9- 11 among 2,914 respondents. It has a margin of error of 1.8 percent.

When Duterte took on Pope Francis

Published by Ellen on December 1, 2015

Living up to his macho image of a crime buster that discriminates no one, in Tagalog, “walang sinasanto,” Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte took on the well-loved Pope Francis whose arrival in the Philippines last January caused him to be stuck in traffic he had to pee in his car.

Last Monday at his declaration as PDP-Laban presidential candidate in lieu of former barangay captain Martin Diño, who filed his certificate of candidacy for president last Oct. 16 but withdrew later as the the poll body included him in the list of nuisance candidates (the Comelec has yet to decide on Duterte’s substitution of Diño), Duterte was in his element spewing “P..I” in abandon, according to news reports.

He cursed traffic in Metro Manila. He related his ordeal last January: “From the hotel to the airport, alam mo inabot kami ng… limang oras. Sabi ko bakit? Sabi pinasarado daw.” A friend told him that the road closure and the traffic jams were due to the arrival of Pope Francis.

He told the adoring crowd: ” Gusto kong tawagan, ‘Pope, p.. I.. ka, umuwi ka na. ‘Wag ka nang bumisita dito.”

The latest from Duterte

Published by Ellen on November 24, 2015

Thanks to Philippine Star for this photo

The May 2016 elections is now more fun with the entry of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the race.

Last Monday, Duterte, after months of flip flopping – even writing an open letter last Oct. 12 saying, “The country does not need me” – he declared last weekend in a birthday party in Cavite, that he is after all running for president in the May 2016 elections.

But, in the first place, can he join the presidential race? Although a member of the PDP-Laban ((Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan), he filed his certificate of candidacy for Davao City Mayor as candidate of Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod.

The slot that he is supposed to take for the presidency is the one filed by former Quezon City Barangay captain Martin B. Dino, who has already withdrawn his candidacy after it was reported that he would be declared a nuisance candidate by the Commission on Elections.

But wait, didn’t Duterte said on Oct. 16, “Hindi ako pang-substitute. Pang original ako.”

Marcos biggest gainer after COC filing, Poe widens lead

Published by Ellen on October 22, 2015

Updated Oct. 24,2015

Bongbong Marcos at the Vice mayors league conference

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. is the biggest gainer among those who filed their certificates of candidacy last week, placing second in the vice-presidential race that has always been dominated by Chiz Escudero, running mate of presidential candidate Grace Poe, results of the survey conducted by the Magdalo group four days after the Commission on Elections closed the filing of certificates of candidacies for the 2016 elections last Oct. 16.

The survey, conducted on Oct 20 through 23, also showed Poe increasing her lead over her rivals in the presidential race with Jojo Binay of United Nationalist Alliance still running second.

The results:
Candidates for President:
Grace Poe, 43%; Jejomar Binay, 26%; Mar Roxas, 17%; Miriam D. Santiago, 11%

Candidates for Vice President: Chiz Escudero,37%; Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr, 24%; Alan Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV , both with 11%; Leni Robredo, 9%; Gringo Honasan, 7%.

A good list to choose from for next batch of senators

Published by Ellen on October 18, 2015

Filipinos just love elections.

A total of 130 have filed certificates of candidacy for president in the May 2016 elections and 19 for vice president.
There are 172 who are vying for the 12 slots in the Senate.

The five reelectionist senators – Franklin Drilon, Ralph Recto, Teofisto Guingona III, Sergio Osmeña III, Vicente Sotto III- have an edge being familiar names and having an established nationwide machinery. Unless something terribly awful happens that would involve them in controversy before the elections, they are expected to be in the Magic 12.

There are four former senators who want to return to the Senate and they also enjoy an advantage in terms of name recall. They are Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Richard Gordon, Francis Pangilinan, and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Concerns of everyday Filipinojs

Published by Ellen on October 9, 2015

The findings of Pulse Asia’s survey on most urgent national concerns should be of interest to candidates in the 2016 elections.

Last month, Pulse Asia listed several national issues and asked 2,400 respondents nationwide to name three that the Aquino administration should act on.

They were also told to include other concerns that were not in the list.

The findings would be a helpful guide not only on how the candidates would conduct their campaign but also how they could chart their program of governance if they win.

The worst is yet to come for Binay

Published by Ellen on October 2, 2015

Vice President Jejomar Binay. Thanks to Inquirer for photo.

Pulse Asia’s latest poll on approval and trust ratings of top government officials showed Vice President Jejomar Binay suffering a huge minus 15 drop in performance and minus 18 in trust in the span of three months.

Approval of President Aquino’s performance remained the same at 54 percent in June 2015 and during last month’s survey (Sept. 8 to 14). The people’s trust for him registered a minimal decline, from 50 percent last June to 49 percent last month.

The performance and trust rating for Senate President Franklin Drilon, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. and Supreme Court Justice Lourdes Sereno remained almost the same, moving only one or three percent.