Palace: No meetings for ‘No-El,’ only on security

By TJ Burgonio (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100507-268515/Palace-No-meetings-for-No-El-only-on-security

MANILA, Philippines—The “no-election” scenario was never on the Palace menu.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been meeting with top security officials because of her concern about unrest arising from the May 10 polls. A failure of elections was never discussed in any of the meetings, Malacañang claimed Thursday.
This whole idea of ‘no elections’ is, just to quote the cardinal, ‘crazy, crazy, crazy and irresponsible,’” Secretary Ricardo Saludo, Ms Arroyo’s spokesperson, said in a briefing. (He was quoting Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales’ reaction early this week to a warning of “people power” by Liberal Party standard-bearer Benigno Aquino III.)

Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza also said it was the threats by communist and secessionist rebels to disrupt the polls that topped the agenda of the meeting on Wednesday.


In that meeting, Saludo said, Ms Arroyo reminded members of the National Security Council (NSC) to maintain stability on Election Day and onward in the face of possible protests.

Postpone elections, Arroyo lawyer urges

By Christine O. Avendaño (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100505-268136/Postpone-elections-Arroyo-lawyer-urges

MANILA, Philippines—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s election lawyer Tuesday sought the postponement of the May 10 polls for 15 days “as the only remedy to prevent a failure of elections” and to give poll officials enough time to prepare for manual elections.

Lawyer Romulo Macalintal said the Omnibus Election Code allows for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc to reset the polls “based on serious cause like the apparent failure of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to properly and correctly function.”

“Under the present situation, a 15-day postponement would be reasonable to give time for the Comelec to print additional forms for manual tally and canvass,” he said in a statement. He stressed that this was “not the time to blame anybody but the time to solve this serious problem.”

In a phone interview, Macalintal said there was a legal basis for Comelec to postpone the polls, citing the Supreme Court’s decision three months ago in the case of Harry Roque versus the poll body.

Administration lawmaker defends party-list group

By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star)
Link:http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=571139&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - A veteran administration lawmaker scored The STAR yesterday for labeling his party-list group as among those with “questionable goals.”

“This is already below the belt. This is even very selective. And it was not even arranged in alphabetical manner,” Alagad party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta complained to The STAR executives.

He was referring to the “Know your party-list” item that appeared in the daily’s front page yesterday. The item is a partial checklist of party-list groups aiming for House seats in the coming polls. The STAR aims to update the list daily, depending on records the groups submit to the Commission on Elections.

Groups tagged by civil society group Kontra Daya as having “questionable goals” are marked with asterisks in The STAR checklist.

Why was Noynoy vs playing of ‘Hello, Garci’ tape?–NP

( Business Mirror)
Link: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24572:why-was-noynoy-vs-playing-of-hello-garci-tapenp&catid=26:nation&Itemid=63

THE Nacionalista Party (NP) said Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and campaign officials of the LP played a key role in helping President Arroyo remain in power by voting against the playing of the “Hello, Garci” tape during the congressional investigation of alleged fraud in the 2004 elections.

NP spokesman and senatorial candidate Gilbert Remulla said voters should be reminded that Aquino, who promises new leadership that will be free of corruption, did not vote for the playing of the “Hello, Garci” tape, which was the key to enlighten the public in determining if Mrs. Arroyo cheated during the 2004 elections.

“It is highly suspicious why Sen. Noynoy Aquino did not vote to listen to the ‘Hello, Garci’ tape when he was House Deputy Speaker for Luzon,” said Remulla in a press briefing on Monday.

Candidate Gloria hits campaign trail

By Tonette Orejas (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100426-266451/Candidate-Gloria-hits-campaign-trail

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—In her first sortie in Pampanga since the campaign period for local positions started on March 26, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sang Florante’s “Handog” on Saturday.

Pampanga gubernatorial candidate Lilia Pineda, a friend of the President’s, joined her in singing the familiar Filipino tune about gratitude at a gymnasium in Lubao, hometown of Ms Arroyo’s late father, former President Diosdado Macapagal.

Lakas-Kampi-CMD campaign coordinators said the rally’s host, Rosve Henson, put Ms Arroyo on the spot during the program by asking her to sing.

The President granted the request of her “cabalen” (province mates) for a song. She embraced Pineda as they sang before some 3,000 people.

Ms Arroyo, however, was unfamiliar with the lyrics of Handog. Her voice was drowned out by Pineda’s in most parts of the song, but it was clearer in the refrain:

Palace, security officials tackle power crisis

By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=568387&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo met yesterday with police and military officials and energy executives in her first national security meeting in recent weeks at the Palace.

Officials said the meeting did not focus on security preparations for the May 10 elections but more on the assurance of power in Mindanao, which continues to be hit by rotating power outages.

Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales said members of the Cabinet cluster on security briefed Mrs. Arroyo on the situation in Mindanao, particularly on the activities of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group, and the communist New People’s Army (NPA).

“There were concerns on the possibility of pockets of lawlessness happening in the South because of the recent incidents there,” Gonzales told The STAR, referring to the recent blasts in Basilan attributed to the Abu Sayyaf, and the kidnaping of a Filipino-Swiss businessman in Zamboanga City by a kidnap-for-ransom group.

Solon turns Teodoro green to Villar orange in a snap

By TJ Burgonio, Jhunnex Napallacan (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100421-265518/Solon-turns-Teodoro-green-to-Villar-orange-in-a-snap

MANILA, Philippines—He made it as easy as changing campaign baller IDs.

Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona took his oath before Sen. Manuel Villar on Monday afternoon only hours after he attended a meeting of Lakas-Kampi-CMD lawmakers presenting a show of force for Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr.

“He was there with us to pledge support for Teodoro,” the ruling party’s secretary general Raymundo Roquero said over the phone, expressing disbelief at Madrona’s turnaround. “It’s his problem to explain himself to his constituents.”

Party officials were pleasantly surprised by the turnout of 130 lawmakers at the meeting despite short notice. But Madrona’s defection to Villar’s Nacionalista Party (NP) spoiled the mood.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stopped by the hastily called meeting at Dusit Thani Manila hotel at around 2 p.m., and exhorted party mates and allies to “stick together” for the administration standard-bearer.

Teodoro himself showed up at the meeting. But he left before Ms Arroyo arrived, saying he had to travel to Antipolo City for an earlier scheduled lunch with local officials.

No bribery attempt during Lakas meeting

BY JAMES KONSTANTIN GALVEZ Reporter (The Manila Times )
Link: http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/top-stories/15703-no-bribery-attempt-during-lakas-meeting

Malacañang on Tuesday denied allegations that “money changed hands” during a recent meeting of lawmakers belonging to Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) that was personally attended by President Gloria Arroyo.

During a press briefing in Malacañang, Press Undersecretary for Broadcast Roger Peyuan dismissed alleged bribery attempts by the executive committee of Lakas-Kampi CMD on some 130 lawmakers who attended the meeting at Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City (Metro Manila) on Monday.

“Wala kaming nalalaman na pagkakataon sa pagpupulong na iyon na tinalakay ang usapan sa pananalapi. At lalong hinding-hindi nagkabigayan sa pagpupulong na iyan [We don’t know anything about money being discussed during that meeting. And definitely, nothing was given out to anyone there],” Peyuan said.

“Marahil ang mga bagay na may kaugnayan sa mga pangangailangan nila at kakulangan ng kanilang pangkampaya at pag-ayuda ng partido ay bahagi lang ng kanilang mga tinatalakay. Pero walang usapang ganito sa loob ng 30-minute stay ni Pangulo [Perhaps things related to campaign needs and the support from the leadership for the party’s candidates were tackled. But nothing irregular happened during the President’s 30-minute stay at the meeting],” he added.

GMA acts to strengthen Lakas

By BEN R. ROSARIO (Manila Bulletin )
Link: http://mb.com.ph/articles/253608/gma-acts-strengthen-lakas

As defections continued to threaten her political party, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo moved Monday to prevent further bleeding in the Lakas-Kampi-CMD as she met with 125 of the party’s congressional bets to tell them that she expects a return of the favors they owed her.

“Let us stick together,” Mrs. Arroyo told party mates as she reminded them that she rarely seeks favors from party mates in return for the help the Lakas-Kampi CMD (LKC) has given them.

Fresh from a series of trips abroad, Mrs. Arroyo dropped by a hastily called political caucus at the Dusit Hotel in Makati City a few minutes after her party mates handed their presidential bet, former defense secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., a manifesto “individually and collectively” committing to deliver to him a landslide victory in their respective congressional districts on May 10.

Teodoro left a few minutes before Mrs. Arroyo’s arrival to attend a meeting with provincial leaders of Rizal province.

Lambino: Opposition could have ousted Arroyo through parliament

By Norman Bordadora ( Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100420-265345/Lambino-Opposition-could-have-ousted-Arroyo-through-parliament

MANILA, Philippines -- Administration senatorial candidate and Charter change advocate Raul Lambino has indicated that President Macapagal-Arroyo might no longer be in power if the proposed shift to a parliamentary government pushed through a few years back.

Responding to a question by Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino bet JV Bautista in a senatorial debate organized by ABS-CBN on Sunday night, Lambino chided the opposition for continuing their accusations against the Chief Executive while failing in their bid to oust her and charge her before the courts.

“Let us give the Filipino a chance to give their leaders a greater amount of accountability that if they commit something wrong we can immediately have them jailed,” Lambino said.

“The members of the opposition have always criticized Gloria. Were you able to oust her? Were you able to throw her into jail? Until now, your accusations continue against Gloria,” he added.

GMA to party mates: Let's stick together

By Paolo Romero ( The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=568102&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo directed yesterday her party mates to “stick together” and ensure the victory of administration presidential candidate Gilbert Teodoro and the Lakas-Kampi-CMD with the elections just three weeks away.
 

Mrs. Arroyo gave the orders during a closed-door meeting of some 120 administration congressional candidates and top Lakas-Kampi officials at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City.
Mrs. Arroyo is president emeritus of the party.

The President arrived at around 2 p.m., shortly after Teodoro left to lead a campaign sortie in Antipolo City.

“As your President, I think I have given you good performance in the last nine years. I hope we will continue this. Let us unite so we can have continued growth,” presidential adviser for political affairs Prospero Pichay quoted Mrs. Arroyo as saying during her 30-minute meeting with the lawmakers.

Comelec: Poll results known in 3 days

By: AP, Helen Flores, Jose Rodel Clapano, Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=566926&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - The results of the country’s first automated general elections will be known within three days.

This was announced by Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesman James Jimenez after business groups said they feared the new system would fail.

The Philippines has brought in the nationwide automated system to replace the laborious manual system that took weeks to tabulate results, but influential business groups have called for a manual count as a backup.

In a statement Wednesday, the Management Association of the Philippines urged the Comelec to adopt a parallel nationwide manual count for the president and vice president to “mitigate, if not eliminate, the skepticism of many about the credibility of the automated election system and the results that it will deliver.”

Villar, NP court Muslim vote

By Christina Mendez ( The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=566931&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur , Philippines – Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. and the party’s senatorial slate yesterday received a strong show of support from local leaders who gathered 20,000 supporters for their political rally in Barangay Banggolo.

The NP has allied with local party Ummah-Ompia led by re-electionist Gov. Omar Ali Solitario and sworn in local leaders from the province’s 38 municipalities.

In expressing his support for Villar, Marawi second district congressional candidate Jun Macarambon took potshots at other presidential candidates who he claims are “insensitive” to the Mindanao peace process.

Macarambon claimed that Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino standard-bearer former President Joseph Estrada practically declared an all-out war in Mindanao when he delivered a speech during his campaign sortie in Davao.

Election failure to favor Arroyo Think tank cites 14 danger signs

By Tony Bergonia (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100416-264500/Election-failure-to-favor-Arroyo

MANILA, Philippines—A multinational firm doing intelligence work for a host of embassies and some of the world’s top corporations has said signs that the Philippines’ first automated balloting on May 10 would fail are getting clearer as the elections draw closer.

In a paper entitled “Assessing 2010 Elections Automation in the Philippines,” Pacific Strategies and Assessments (PSA) said it had found 14 danger signs that the elections were bound to run into a wall of problems, or worse, completely fail.

The paper, submitted to PSA clients that include top US officials in Manila, said that the Arroyo administration was doing very little to assure people of fair and honest elections and might even benefit from failed elections.

“The automation project has been a sideshow to the ongoing shenanigans of sitting President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who is trying to dominate the Lower House after the 2010 elections,” the PSA paper said.

“There is widespread suspicion that Arroyo will somehow capitalize on automated elections problems or failure to advance her and her family’s interests and perpetuate herself in power,” it said.

Villar, Noy both GMA bets - PMP

By Perseus Echeminada (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=566922&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - A campaign manager of former President Joseph Estrada has tagged Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar and Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III as President Arroyo’s secret candidates.

Outgoing Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco told The STAR that the exodus of Lakas-Kampi-CMD stalwarts to NP and LP has exposed Mrs. Arroyo’s support for Villar and Aquino in her bid to promote her political agenda beyond the May elections.

Tiangco, who is on his third and last term, said the latest defection of Albay Gov. Joey Salceda to LP is a clear sign that the President has scattered her political allies to the two parties so she can continue her agenda even after the polls.

“Senators Villar and Aquino should stop accusing each other of being an Arroyo front because both of them are allies of the President,” he said.

Binay asks Comelec to probe GMA’s midnight appointments

by Jerico Javier & Alex T. Silva

From Journal Online

Link: http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/national/6287-binay-asks-comelec-to-probe-gmas-midnight-appointments.html

OPPOSITION vice-presidential bet Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay yesterday said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should apply its diligence in counting the television airtime of candidates to investigating motu proprio President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s recent midnight appointments.

“If the poll body is so gung ho in reprimanding candidates who have exceeded their television advertisement allotment, then it should apply the same proactive stance in determining if Mrs. Arroyo had exceeded her authority in making election-period appointments,” he said.

Binay said if the Comelec can “micro count the seconds” of candidates’ TV ads then it cannot ignore a big issue like Mrs. Arroyo’s wholesale release of new appointment papers to high-government positions.

He said the Comelec had even reprimanded candidates for plastering posters in wrong places and detailed the size of the posters and the places where they should be put.

“I hope this vigilance and attention to detail should be applied on Mrs. Arroyo’s midnight appointments as well. It cannot be so finicky on posters while being insensitive on presidential appointments,” Binay said.

He insisted that the issue of midnight Cabinet and judicial appointments deserve the Comelec’s attention more than poster violations. “The ban on last-minute executive appointments is written in the Constitution,” he said.

Binay said it is within the Comelec’s powers to summon Mrs. Arroyo’s official representative and make him explain, in person or in writing, the legal basis for the recent appointments she had made.

“The Comelec need not wait for a complainant . It can initiate the scrutiny on its own. After all, its job is to monitor compliance with election laws, so if it sees a violation, then it should immediately blow the whistle,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard-bearer former President Joseph Estrada accused President Arroyo of being the opposite of his father, the late President Diosdado Macapagal, for the midnight appointments she made despite the ban on them because of the coming elections.

Estrada made the accusation as a reaction to the midnight appointments made by Malacañang recently, including the appointments of a new member of the Court of Appeals and the Philippine ambassador to Germany.

“’Di niya sinusunod ang batas, mabuti pa ang tatay niya. Dapat sundin na lamang n’ya ’yun. Dapat what her father done she should follow, tatay niya ’yun ’di niya sinusunod,” Estrada said the other night during a campaign sortie in Cainta, Rizal.

Estrada recounted that GMA’s father denounced the “midnight appointments” made by his predecessor, former President Carlos P. Garcia.

Estrada added that despite the good example of her father, President Arroyo failed to follow his legacy as she violated the law by appointing government officials despite the ban.

Lakas may expel members supporting other bets—Teodoro

By Yolanda Sotelo (Inquirer Northern Luzon) 

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100324-260646/Lakas-may-expel-members-supporting-other-betsTeodoro

BINALONAN, Pangasinan, Philippines—Lakas-Kampi standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said party members who back other presidential aspirants run the risk of enduring strict disciplinary actions or outright expulsion.

But he said the Lakas campaign had already forecast the eventual party-switching among its ranks before it launched his presidential bid.

"We have factored [into the campaign strategy] a certain amount of defection [that would take place]. That happens. You can't stop it. Rather than not accept [defections] as a reality, you have to be ready [if you want to proceed with an efficient campaign]," he said.

Teodoro toured this town on Wednesday, part of a Pangasinan sortie that coincided with the two-day provincial tour of his cousin, Senator Benigno Aquino III, standard-bearer of the Liberal Party.

On Sunday in Baguio City, Florencio Abad Jr., LP campaign manager, said his party had been documenting the activities of Lakas provincial candidates, who have openly campaigned for Senator Manuel Villar Jr., the Nacionalista Party standard-bearer.

Abad said LP has concluded that Villar may soon receive full backing from the Lakas-Kampi leadership, which would place Teodoro in an awkward position.

Palace on Noynoy threat of protests: Bring it on

By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star)  

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=561048&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang belittled yesterday the threat of Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to lead massive street protests against a Supreme Court (SC) ruling allowing President Arroyo to appoint the next chief justice.

Presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo also maintained that Mrs. Arroyo would proceed with the appointment of the successor of Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who retires on May 17.

“She will comply with her duty under the Constitution. The Constitution requires that a Supreme Court chief justice should be appointed within 90 days (upon vacancy) and she will do her part, that one is appointed within 90 days,” Saludo told a news briefing.

“We believe that at the end of the day, the great majority of our people and their leaders will comply with the demands of the Constitution as interpreted by the body that is authorized to interpret it, the Supreme Court,” Saludo said.

“The people want to see the Constitution followed,” he said.

Referring to Aquino’s statements, he said “people will say all sorts of things during campaign period to get into the papers.”

Arroyo allies in Cebu nix Teodoro for Villar Villar gains support of Garcias, 3 other solons

By Michael Lim Ubac, Jhunnex Napallacan (Inquirer Visayas) 

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100325-260685/Arroyo-allies-in-Cebu-nix-Teodoro-for-Villar

MANILA, Philippines—While Malacañang was not looking, Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar has quietly gained the support of the biggest political party and the most powerful political family in vote-rich Cebu, according to well-placed party sources.

Villar met with congressmen and local officials belonging to One Cebu and the Garcia family behind closed doors at Marco Polo Hotel in Cebu City on Wednesday.

Although details of the meeting were not disclosed to local journalists, Alvin Garcia, who is seeking to regain the city’s mayoral post, announced an alliance between his party, Kugi Uswag Sugbo (Progress for Cebu) or Kusug, and the NP in a press conference at the same hotel.

His position was different from that taken by his cousin, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia, who founded One Cebu and has expressed support for Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro.

The governor sealed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s victory in the 2004 elections, giving her a one-million vote margin over the late opposition candidate, Fernando Poe Jr. Cebu has 2,416,289 registered voters, according to the Commission on Elections.

The administration coalition Lakas-Kampi-CMD Wednesday night downplayed the report of One Cebu’s turnaround of support for Villar.

Gwendolyn’s call

Ex-colonel tagged in "Hello Garci" scandal a party-list nominee

By Kristine L. Alave (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100324-260572/Ex-colonel-tagged-in-Hello-Garci-scandal-a-party-list-nominee

MANILA, Philippines -- Military officials, including one colonel implicated in the Hello Garci scandal have been named nominees of some party-list groups, according to progressive group Bayan.

The Abante Tribung Makabansa (ATM) has former Army Colonel Allen A. Capuyan as its first nominee, Bayan said in a statement.

Capuyan was among those implicated by former Technical Sergeant Vidal Doble in the “Hello Garci” controversy, Bayan said. The 2005 scandal erupted when Doble presented to the public taped phone conversations between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and a Comelec official (widely believed to be Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano) about her one-million vote lead in the 2004 presidential elections.

The tape also implicated high-ranking military officials and senior poll officials in the 2004 electoral fraud.

Mrs. Arroyo has apologized to the public for talking to the official but denied she asked him to cheat for her, claiming she just called to check on the status of her votes. She survived three impeachment complaints against her.