Tag: PHLVote2016

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.”

Mommy Dionisia at Mayor Pre Salic

Published by Ellen on April 23, 2016

Lumabas itong kolum sa Abante

Enjoy ako mag-cover ng kampanya sa eleksyun. Maliban sa marami kang lugar mapupuntahan, marami kang makakatagpo na iba-ibang personalidad.

Katulad ng rally ni Bise-Presidente Jejomar Binay sa Saranggani at General Santos noong Martes. Si boxing champ, Manny Pacquiao, ang kinatawan ng Saranggani sa kongreso, ang host. Tumatakbong senador si Pacquiao sa ilalim ng tiket ng United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) na pinangungunahan ni Binay. Siyempre maraming tao.

Sa Alabel, ang pangunahing bayan ng Saranggani, dumalo si Mommy Dionisia, ang ina ni Pacquiao.

Dear next president: How will you make the country’s roads safe?

Published by Ellen on April 23, 2016

Photo by Ace Esmeralda of Security Matters

By Dinna Louise C. Dayao

They were all in their teens. John Russel Garcia, John Paul Tena, Kirby Bokingo, Jaymee Gubaton, Bren Loren Calabines, and Rodalyn Bautista were graduating Grade 10 students.

They had their whole lives ahead of them: graduations, college, careers. But everything ended in a fiery crash on a road in Tagaytay in the wee hours of January 17, 2016.

It started as a joyride. According to news reports, the youngsters were in a car driven by Calabines, who had a student license. It was his father’s car; the boy reportedly took it without his parent’s permission. The car hit a concrete barrier and several trees before bursting into flames. All six teens died in the horrific crash.

Fears about a Duterte presidency

Published by Ellen on April 22, 2016

Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte in a rally.

The statement of United States Ambassador Philip Goldberg supporting the concern of Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely of the trivialization of rape by presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte, reflects the concern of the international community about the strong possibility of a Duterte presidency.

The childish and reckless retort of Duterte, who is leading in the presidential race, daring the U.S and Australia to sever ties with the Philippines if he becomes president strengthened concerns that a Duterte presidency would be a disaster for the country.

The Pacific Strategies and Assessments, an international risk management and strategy development consulting firm, conveyed that concern in its April 18 assessment of the Philippine situation.

PSA noted Duterte’s bizarre ideas like retaking Chinese occupied features in the disputed Spratlys and reviving the steel industry “when demand for steel globally is at its lowest in decades. “

Mas malutong ang putang ina mas malakas ang palakpak kay Duterte

Published by Ellen on April 9, 2016

(Lumabas itong kolum sa Abante: www.abante.com.ph)

CAA, Las Pinas. From FB page of Sahad Andal Jr

Kaya si Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ay mura ng mura dahil gustong-gusto yan ng mga tagahanga niya. Mas malutong ang “Putang Ina” mas malakas ang palakpak.

Nang sinundan namin ang kanyang rally noong Biyernes sa Parañaque, Las Piñas at Muntinlupa, nabingi ako sa sandamakmak na putang ina na narinig namin. Hindi lang putang ina ang bukambibig niya. Merong ulol, tanga, gaga (kay dating Justice Secretary Leila de Lima), bayot (kay Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas), buang.

Gustong-gusto ng mga tagahanga niya. Sigaw pa nila: “Mura pa more!”

Published by Ellen on April 4, 2016

Mock poll voting for PWDs at Robinsobs Galleria. Photo by Feona Imperial for VERA Files.

When it was reported that voters could cast their votes in shopping malls this coming elections, I thought it was a good idea.

It’s like going to mass in a mall and proceed to the grocery and shopping afterwards.

I was thinking of the Department of Foreign Affairs putting up passport processing services in malls which remarkably made the application and renewal of passports easy.

My election-lawyer friend said transferring polling places is much more complicated than issuance of passports. I now see that voting in malls was not a well-thought- out idea.