Aquino proclamation set

The next president, likely Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, and possibly the next vice president of the country are expected to be officially proclaimed on Monday, June 7.

This was revealed Monday night by Speaker Prospero Nograles as he noted that less than 35 percent of the 278 certificates of canvass (CoCs) have not yet been tabulated with the joint national canvassing committee left two days to count the remainder.

Pointing out that Congress has done its part of speeding up the canvassing of election returns for the presidential and vice presidential races and the eventual proclamation of the winners, Nograles said he also expects the Supreme Court, which will act as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), to fast-track its decision on electoral protests should there be one.

Aquino s predicted to win the presidential race having led almost throughout the national canvassing of votes by the 18-man committee composed of House of Representatives and Senate members.

Running second to Aquino is former President Joseph Estrada of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) who garnered 5,927,990 votes.

With the deferment of tabulation of 14 CoCs as of Tuesday night, a forecast of the vice presidential race winner is not possible.

Aquino’s runningmate, Sen. Manuel Roxas, and Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino are still slugging it out for the lead, although the latter has maintained a slim lead as of press time yesterday.

Binay posted 9,048,351 votes on Tuesday night while Roxas chalked up 8,749,968 after the canvassing of 189 of 278 CoCs, or a difference of 298,383 votes.

Lawyers for several candidates appeared headed to the PET as they continued to badger the canvassing panel with objections on various issues that could set the stage for an election protest.

Lawyers for Roxas, together with Senator Jamby Madrigal, sought the deferment of canvassing in cities and provinces where counting were allegedly discontinued to pave the way for the early proclamation of winning local candidates.

They cited a certification issued by Commission on Elections (Comelec) Executive Director Jose Tolentino that the poll body agreed to lower the threshold of counting in areas where there is no possibility that vote margins posted by leading candidates can still be overtaken.

The huge number of null votes for vice president, reaching 800,000 as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, is also expected to be brought to the PET. The number represents nearly 12 percent of all votes canvassed.

“We in the joint canvassing committee are tasked to make sure that all votes cast by our people on May 10 are counted properly. It will be a disservice to our people if we do an incomplete canvass at the national level,” said Camarines Norte Rep. Liwayway Vinzons-Chato, an ally of Roxas.

In four days of canvassing, Congress, acting as the National Board of Canvassers, was able to canvass an average of 47 CoCs per day, starting off with the manually transmitted returns from 174 overseas absentee voting centers throughout the world.

Nograles said there remained a possibility that proclamation can be made Thursday but the June 7 schedule is a “safe” prediction.

Earlier, the House leader set June 4 as the target of proclamation of the winners in the presidential and vice presidential race but the closing ceremonies of the Lower House made it impossible for the joint canvassing panel to meet the schedule.

Last Monday, Nograles and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who both head the canvassing body, agreed to defer canvassing session on Friday to give way to the closing ceremonies of both chambers.

Aquino won in almost all provinces and cities. Among these are: Surigao del Norte; Bulacan, Catanduanes, Laguan, Benguet, Masmate, Albay, Paranaque City, Sorsogon, Aklan, Bohol, Cebu, Camarines Sur, Agusan del Norte, Compostela Valley, Tarlac, Cavite, Marinduque, Mandaluyong City and Bataan.

On the other hand, Estrada took Misamis Oriental, Cagayan, Occidental Mindoro, Saranggani, Isabela, Quirino, and Zamboanga City.

Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., who is number 4 in the race, won in Camiguin, Dinagat Island, and Guimaras.

In the vice presidential race, Binay enjoyed the lead in the following cities and provinces: Nueva Vizcaya, Paranaque City, Cagayan, Sorsogon, Occidental Mindoro, Saranggani, Isabela, Misamis Oriental, Bulacan, Manila, Catanduanes, Laguna, Quirino, Compostela Valley, Zamboanga City, Bataan, Cavite and Mandaluyong City.

Roxas won in Negros Oriental, Guimaras, Marinduque, Cebu, Camarines Sur, Agusan del Norte, Tarlac, Surigao del Norte, Benguet, Masbate, Albay, Aklan, Bohol, and Zamboanga del Norte.

Actor Edu Manzano, Teodoro’s running mate, led in Camiguin and Dinagat Island. Like Teodoro, Manzano is ranked fourth.

Official count as of 9 p.m. on June 1:

For President: Benigno C. Aquino III , 9,564,943; Joseph Estrada, 5,927,990; Manuel Villar, 3,333,558; Gilberto Teodoro Jr., 2,480,185; Eduardo Villanueva, 722,857; Richard Gordon, 270,781; Vetellano Acosta, 118,351; Nicanor Perlas, 33,730; Jamby Madrigal, 30,553; JC de los Reyes, 28,297.

For Vice President: Jejomar Binay, 9,048,351; Manuel Roxas, 8,749,968; Loren Legarda, 2,570,103; Bayani Fernando, 582,162; Edu Manzano, 497,296; Perfecto Yasay, 232,135; Jay Sonza, 37,919.

Erap did not vote for Binay as Vice President

A revealing photo taken by media catches a glimpse of the ballot of presidentiable Joseph "Erap" Estrada. It is indeed strange that he did not vote for a Vice President.

See for yourself and look closely at the photo. Is it true that Erap did not vote for Binay?

Kris thanks INC for endorsing Noynoy, Mar

On behalf of her family, celebrity Kris Aquino on Wednesday thanked the Iglesia ni Cristo leadership for endorsing the presidential bid of her brother, Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

In her official Twitter account, Kris expressed gratitude to INC leader Eduardo Manalo and the rest of the religious group's members for supporting Noynoy and his running mate, Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas II. [See: Iglesia ni Cristo endorses Noynoy Aquino, Mar Roxas]

"Thank you to INC Executive Minister, Ka Eduardo Manalo and lahat ng kapatid namin sa Iglesia ni Cristo for choosing to support Noy and Mar. We are so grateful for this inspiring blessing," Kris tweeted.

Kris accompanied Noynoy in at least one of his meetings with Manalo prior to the INC's endorsement.

The actress, accompanied by celebrities including Agot Isidro and Mylene Dizon, is set to campaign in Nueva Ecija and Pampanga Wednesday for her brother. The day before, she campaigned in La Union and Baguio with actors Dingdong Dantes and Coco Martin.

The INC, which is known for voting as a bloc, is said to bring in at least a million votes for whoever it endorses. The group has endorsed in the past two winning presidential candidates, Joseph Estrada in 1998 and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2004. — Johanna Camille Sisante/RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV

NP opposes ABS-CBN request for copies of election returns

The Nacionalista Party (NP) on Monday appeared before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to oppose a petition filed by television network ABS-CBN which asked copies of poll documents indicating the number of votes received by a candidate in a precinct.

Awarding a copy of the election return — which shows votes of each candidate in a precinct — and the COC — which contains the total votes obtained by each candidate — to the network would be "discriminatory" to other media entities, NP lawyer Joel Bodegon said in a hearing held on Monday.

His argument was countered by ABS-CBN chief legal counsel Maximilian Joseph Uy.

As one of the biggest television networks in the country, it's obvious that the network should be one of the media entities entitled to a copy of the ERs and the COCs, Uy said.

The ER is electronically printed by the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine which shows the date of the election, the province, municipality, and the precinct in which it is held and the votes for each candidate in the precinct. The COC is a document which contains the total votes obtained by each candidate in a city, municipality, district, or province.

Section 19 of Republic Act 9369 states that the 21st to 24th copies of the ER would be given to national broadcast or print media entities "in view of propagating the copies to the widest extent possible."

Section 21 of the same law provides that the 26th and 27th copies of the COC should be given to local broadcast or print media entities also in view of the same purpose.

However, Bodegonsaid that the "bigness" of one entity is never an argument.

"In fact, it is a counterargument to allowing the petition, because you also have to allow other media organizations," he told GMANews.TV in an interview after the hearing.

The lawyer added that the network is not "worthy" of the ER and COC because it is not "balanced" in its presentation of news.

The NP has always criticized ABS-CBN for supposedly supporting Liberal Party standard bearer Benigno Aquino III, brother of actress and talk show host Kris Aquino and rival of NP bet Senator Manuel Villar. The network has repeatedly denied the accusation.

Businesswoman Maria Therese Quesada, who also appeared before the Comelec to oppose the petition, likewise said that ABS-CBN was biased in its coverage of the elections.

"ABS-CBN has not been balanced it is reporting of the elections... a lot of the celebrities with ABS-CBN are related to one particular candidate," she said.

Quesada said was appealing to the commission as a private citizen.

She said she came to the hearing after she read an announcement in the newspaper saying that the poll body would be conducting a hearing on ABS-CBN's petition.

Uy, however, denied the allegation. "We are not for one candidate," he said during the hearing.

For his part, Commissioner Lucenito Tagle noted that ABS-CBN would automatically have a copy of the results through the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), of which it is a member.

The results of the elections per precinct are expected to be posted by the Comelec on a secure website right after voting closes and will also be available on servers provided for several accredited parties, the KBP, and other entities.

Uy said that their petition was done to make sure that they would be able to get a copy of the results as soon as possible, without any delays.

The Comelec has ordered Uy to provide Bodegon and Quesada with a copy of their petition. It has also set another hearing for the case on Friday.

Meanwhile, the poll body has submitted the petitions to conduct early voting for the media and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanano (ARMM) for resolution. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV

THE RUNDOWN breaks the news about the rift in the Aquino campaign =)

THE RUNDOWN April 5, 2010 Baby James reveals the identity of his secret candidate. =)

Erap on pardon: I don’t owe Arroyo anything

I don’t owe her anything.

This was the statement of former President Joseph “Erap" Estrada on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo despite the presidential pardon given to him three years ago.

“Siya ang may may utang na loob dahil inagawan ako ng puwesto (She’s the one who owe me because she stole the presidency from me)," Estrada said when he took the hot seat on GMA News’ election show “Kandidato," which was aired Wednesday night.

He said Malacañang had asked him to issue a written apology in exchange for his pardon, but he declined it. He also denied that he asked for his pardon.

“Wala akong kasunduan na ganoon at hindi ako humingi sa kaniya ng pardon. Pinasusulat pa nga ako, pero ayaw ko [I never made any agreement, and I never asked for her pardon. I was made to write my apology, but I refused]," he said.

Estrada said President Arroyo probably pardoned him because “she was moved by her conscience" over “a miscarriage of justice."

Presidential Election 2010 Sample Ballot

SOURCE: TINA PEREZ



Close up of sample ballot with new design listing candidates horizontally instead of vertically (Tina Perez)

Noynoy's lower ratings prompt LP to change strategy

SOURCE: GMANEWS.TV

Alarmed by their standard bearer's declining survey ratings, the Liberal Party said it will reassess the campaign strategy of Senator Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III to ensure his victory over his closest rival in the May 10 elections.

LP spokesperson and Quezon Rep. Erin Tañada made the statement on Wednesday after the latest Pulse Asia survey results showed that Aquino's lead over Nacionalista Party's Senator Manuel Villar Jr. has been cut down to only two percentage points.

"We are concerned with the results of the latest Pulse Asia survey," Tañada said in an interview with reporters. [See:Noynoy, Villar head-to-head in latest Pulse Asia survey]

He attributed the rise of Villar's ratings from 23 percent to 35 percent – and Aquino's fall from 45 percent to 37 percent – to Villar's frequent TV and radio ads. Tañada noted that Aquino's ads are not as prevalent in the media.

"I think it is time to also re-assess the messaging of Senator Noy," he said. "Maybe it is not resonating, we have to re-assess that, and we will have to look also if there is a need to adjust our campaign strategy knowing for a fact that [the official] campaign [period] is about to start soon."

He said the LP led by campaign manager Butch Abad and other officials will now work on a "clearer and sharper message" about what Aquino actually intends to do if he is elected president.

"Maybe we would now focus more on what Noynoy intends to do for the country, how he plans to improve certain areas as defined in his platform para maintindihan ng taong bayan na meron talagang pinaghahawakan na programa si Noynoy para sa susunod na administration (so that the public will see that Noynoy has specific programs for the next administration)," said the LP spokesman.

Aquino was ushered into the presidential race due to public clamor after his mother, the late former president Corazon Aquino, died in August last year.

The son of martyr Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., the LP standard bearer has so far largely banked on the legacy of his parents.

Tañada said the LP acknowledges that the "Cory Magic" that initially propelled Aquino to the top might be wearing off, but maintained that "the symbolism of what Cory stood for is what Noynoy stands for."

Aquino has so far had three TV ads.

The first featured major celebrities including his sister, celebrity Kris Aquino. The second showed a somber Noynoy, with photos of his parents behind him, promising that he would not steal.

The third, which only came out recently, was more lively compared to his previous ads and showed Noynoy rapping.

Tañada said they would be increasing the number of Aquino's ads once the official campaign period starts on Monday, February 9. However, he admitted that they cannot match the funds of Villar, a self-made billionaire who ranked 9th on Forbes' 2009 list of the Philippines' richest.

Aquino, along with his running mate Senator Mar Roxas and the party's senatorial slate, will kickstart their campaign on Tuesday in Aquino's home province of Tarlac. - RJAB Jr./GMANews.TV

Comelec: 43,000 registered twice for May polls

SOURCE: KIMBERLY JANE T. TAN, GMANews.TV

Some 43,000 voters were found to have registered at least twice for the May 2010 elections in Calabarzon and in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official revealed on Friday.

These double and multiple registrants were discovered through the use of biometrics and the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), Commissioner Rene Sarmiento told reporters, citing findings of the Comelec’s Information and Technology Department (ITD).

These voters could not have done this mistakenly, saying that they really intended to cast their vote more than once during election day, he said.

“Wala nang iba, bakit ka pa nagparehistro ng mutiple (there is no other reason, why would they register more than once), this is very unusual," Sarmiento said, adding many registrants even tried to change their appearances when they went to other registration sites.

As of January 15, 2010, the number of registered voters in Calabarzon – representing provinces in Cavite, Laguna, Lucena City, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon – are at 6,736,126.

Registered voters in the ARMM, composed of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi provinces, have reached 1,882,339. The figure includes registered voters in Isabela and Cotabato cities.

These figures, provided by the Comelec’s Election and Records Statistics Department, are likely to rise because the poll body is still finalizing the official list of registered voters.

Charges to be filed against multiple registrants

A Comelec en banc resolution has already instructed the ITD to remove or delist the double and multiple registrants from the official list of voters, Sarmiento said.

The agency can either investigate the matter and file appropriate charges or designate the Department of Justice to prosecute the case, he said.

However, registrants may still vote but only in the precinct where he or she first registered.

“They can vote but without prejudice to the filing of appropriate charges…against them," he said. “If there [is] double registration, the first registration will be valid, not the subsequent."

Penalty for this election offense is one to six years imprisonment without probation and perpetual disqualification from holding public office, Sarmiento said.

Number of voters who registered twice to rise

Double and multiple registrants are also expected to increase, Sarmiento said, adding that the Commission is now in the process of going through records of all the country’s other regions.

“…[E]ven before the investigation of the four regions are finished, 43,000 double and multiple registrants have been already found…that means more will be discovered by the ITD," he told reporters.

Sarmiento also warned those who committed the offense that they are bound to be discovered and punished.

“I think this discovery by the ITD is sending a strong signal to the registrants… to be very careful because we now have this technology to discover this anomaly and shenanigans," he said.

Earlier, the Comelec said that the number of registered voters for 2010 had already surpassed 50 million.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said that there are about 50,086,054 registered voters, excluding the 258,691 who were able to register during the extended registration held on December 21, 22, 23, 28, and 29.

In the 2007 polls, there were just 45,029,443 registered voters.

Currently, Jimenez said they have 75,471 clustered precincts.

Each clustered precinct will have a Precinct Count Optical Scan machine, each of which can supposedly accommodate up to 1,000 voters. - with GMA News Research, RJAB Jr./GMANews.TV

Gibo, Noynoy will not contest Comelec decision on Erap case

SOURCE: GMANEWS.TV

Two presidential aspirants on Thursday welcomed the decision of the Commission on Election (Comelec) second division allowing the candidacy of former President Joseph Estrada, saying it would give the electorate more options.

"It's the choice of the people to decide, and it gives the electorate more options, more candidates to choose from," said lawyer Edwin Lacierda, spokesman of Liberal Party standard-bearer Senator Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III.

Lacierda said the LP does not intend to file any petition questioning the Comelec second division’s decision, which said the disqualification cases against Estrada lacked merit.

Quezon Rep. Erin Tañada III, the LP spokesperson, said Aquino "respects the decision of the Comelec and whatever decision the Supreme Court may come out with if ever it is brought to the SC on appeal."

Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet Gilberto Teodoro Jr. likewise said he would "let the electorate decide on the matter." "Filipinos deserve to have a larger pool of leaders in which to seek their next president," he said in a statement.

Conrado Limcaoco, officer-in-charge of the Office of the Press Secretary, said the Comelec's decision on Estrada's candidacy would not have a heavy bearing on Teodoro since the Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer would be campaigning "on his own merits."

Limcaoco said Malacañang respects the Comelec resolution on Estrada, as well as the poll body's decision to dismiss the petition seeking to disqualify President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from running for congresswoman of Pampanga's second district.

“I think that the Comelec as an independent body is made up of extremely capable people and we respect and support their decision on that," Limcaoco said.

Estrada, elected president in 1998, was ousted after two years following charges of corruption. He was tried and later found guilty of plunder by the Sandiganbayan, and was sentenced to reclusion perpetua. His successor, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, pardoned him in October 2007, or a month after his conviction.

Those who filed the petition with the Comelec said Estrada’s presidential bid violates the Constitution, which they said clearly prohibits a president from seeking re-election. - Johanna Camille Sisante/KBK, GMANews.TV

Noynoy vows clean gov't, level playing field for biz

SOURCE: GMANEWS.TV

A level playing field, a streamlined process for business transactions, and strong political will to stamp corruption and rebuild the country's damaged institutions.

Presidential bet Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III made these promises to the business community on Thursday, saying the May elections will be a test of the strength of the political institutions of a "fledgling democracy" like the Philippines.

"With the electoral scandals that have stalled our democratic progress as of late, it is not a test that we can afford to fail," he told about 450 members of the influential Makati Business Club (MBC) at the Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati.

The son of the late President Corazon Aquino said he would encourage free and fair competition, adding that one need not be a crony of his administration to succeed in business.

"More importantly, the government will not compete with business. Nor will government use its regulatory powers to extort, intimidate and harass," he told the businessmen.

Aquino also promised not to impose new taxes and increase tax rates.

As a forum, the Makati Business Club, which comprises more than 800 chief executive officers and senior executives representing about 450 corporations in the Philippines, seeks to address economic and social issues that affect the country's development.

MBC Executive Director Albert Lim said Aquino is "one of the better candidates" given his track record in good governance.

"If there's anybody who we can believe, I think he has the track record. The lack of evidence or even hint of corruption makes him a good candidate… If it's a question of character, that's his strong suit," he said in an interview.

In his speech, Aquino said there is a widespread perception that success in business depends a lot on one's connections to the powers-that-be.

Because of this, he said, some companies are forced to focus their activities on maintaining relationships to retain state favors.

"While it may work locally for now, it has not enabled these players to become competitive in the world market, where the rules of the game do not take special relationships into consideration," Aquino said.

He promised to encourage "free and fair competition" and streamline the approval process not only for new enterprises but also in day-to-day transactions with the government, including tax payments. "We will do this on a national as well as the local level."

Fiscal strategy

Aquino said good governance and the drive against corruption will be critical components of his strategy to address the looming fiscal crisis.

Instead of imposing new taxes or hiking tax rates, his administration would rather curb and punish tax evasion and smuggling.

"My vision is to transform our country into one where we have lower tax rates enjoyed by all, rather than have some enjoy absolute tax exemptions while we burden the rest of the economy with very high tax rates," Aquino said.

He also noted that with universally low tax rates, the government will encourage enterprises to invest and create jobs. "We will, therefore, pursue the rationalization of fiscal incentives early in my administration," he added.

Aquino cited the need to transform infrastructure projects from sources of waste and scandal into examples of cooperation and efficiency.

He promised to set objective criteria for projects and develop a scorecard that will assess these against benchmarks transparent to the public.

"We are a nation of sacrifice, of diligence, dedication and idealism, because we are a people imbued with compassion even when we have officials who lie, cheat, and steal," Aquino said.

He also boasted of his job as a fiscalizer in both Houses of Congress, having played a major role in probing the fertilizer scam, the allegedly anomalous national broadband network deal, as well as in pushing the impeachment of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

MBC's Lim said good governance is the "overarching solution" to the country's age-old problems. Aquino's promises, he said, were very simple, adding that he had given straightforward answers.

A survey of MBC members last month showed that Aquino was their top pick for President, getting 61 percent of their votes. The businessmen also said corruption was the top issue (79 percent) that the next administration should address, followed by peace and order (35 percent) and infrastructure (24 percent). — Norman P. Aquino/YA, GMANews.TV