Noynoy: I never blamed FM kids for my pa's slay

By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star) 

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=559462&publicationSubCategoryId=67

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte – The children of the late President Ferdinand Marcos had nothing to do with the August 1983 assassination of Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said here Thursday.

Upon his arrival at the airport, he told reporters in a chance interview that he never blamed Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his older sister Imee for what happened to his father, who was the archrival of the deposed president during martial law.

Aquino recalled having said 12 years ago that he did not consider Imee, Irene or Bongbong in his father’s assassination.

“Sabihin na nating pare-pareho kaming nabiktima ng pagkakataon noong mga panahon na iyon (Let’s just say that we were all victims of circumstances in those times),” he said.

In a previous sortie in Dumaguete City, Aquino said he considers the case closed, even as he opposed the pardon given to the convicted soldiers.

“Pero yung sa akin, di tayo namemersonal (In my case, I hold no personal grudges),” he said.

Aquino recalled that when Imee was one of his colleagues in the opposition bloc at the House of Representatives, she helped him implement a hybrid rice program for his constituents in Tarlac. Bongbong took over Imee’s post in 2007.

Aquino, his running mate Sen. Mar Roxas, his sister popular talk show host Kris Aquino and her basketball player-husband James Yap received a warm welcome in this province, and even paid a courtesy call to Ilocos Norte Gov. Michael Marcos-Keon.

Aquino said he is confident that he can get the support of Ilocos Norte voters amid reports that he ranks second among favored presidential bets here. – With Jun Elias

As Nograles goes to SC ; Comelec retreats, pledges ‘zombies’ purge

from The Daily Tribune

Link: http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20100313hed1.html

With the threat of a possible order from the Supreme Court for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to immediately purge the voters registration list containing double, multiple and dead voters that media have termed as “zombie” voters, following Speaker Prospero Nograles’ filing of a mandamus against the poll body, the Comelec yesterday hastily came up with Resolution 8791, resolving to “abate the other registration records of voters found to have double or multiple registration records as listed by the IT; direct the Board of Election inspectors not to allow these voters to vote in their respective precincts in the May 10, 2010 elections; delete the registration records of the voters in the next Election Registration Board (ERB) hearings; direct the Education and Information Department (EID) of the Commission on Elections to cause the publication of this Resolution in two daily newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines, and give it the widest dissemination; and direct the Election and Barangay Affairs Department in coordination with the ITD to implement this Resolution.

Asked by the Tribune to comment on the latest resolution, which appears to be the poll body’s reaction to his mandamus filed yesterday, Nograles, in a brief telephone interview said he is “giving the Commissioners the benefit of the doubt” in getting the zombie registrants delisted, but that his petition to the high court stays.