Sotto to amend law on mediamen if elected

by Michael Punongbayan (The Philippine Star)

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=556759&publicationSubCategoryId=65

MANILA, Philippines - Because the old one only covers print media practitioners, Nationalist People’s Coalition senatorial candidate Vicente Sotto III is planning to amend the law which protects newsmen from revealing their sources.

He said RA 53 which was authored in 1946 by his grandfather, then senator Vicente Yap Sotto, only protects mediamen from newspapers and magazines. “My grandfather authored the law to protect the print media. After more than five decades it needs to be amended to include all other forms of media used in the present time,” Sotto III said yesterday.

“The amendment should also cover and protect all local publications and networks (print, broadcast and online) not necessarily by of nationwide circulation or reach,” he said.

RA 53, otherwise known as the “Sotto Law” is an act to exempt the publisher, editor or reporter of any publication from revealing the source of published news or information obtained in confidence.

“The publisher, editor or duly accredited reporter of any newspaper, magazine or periodical of general circulation cannot be compelled to reveal the source of any news report or information appearing in said publication which is related in confidence to such publisher, editor or reporter, unless the court or a House or Committee of Congress finds that such revelation is demanded in the interest of the State,” Section 1 of the law declares.

Sotto III, who is doing well in the surveys among senatorial candidates of the May 2010 national polls, said it would be an honor that he can amend the law authored by his own grandfather.

“This is history in the making in the entire legislative records in the Philippines,” he noted, adding that RA 53 was the first law authored by his grandfather who was a former journalist in Cebu. Sotto founded the newspaper dubbed “Ang Suga,” the first newspaper in the Cebuano vernacular with the first issue printed on June 16, 1901.

Bong, Jinggoy, Miriam still up

by Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=556547&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - Re-electionist senators Bong Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada and Miriam Defensor-Santiago were statistically tied at first place in the latest senatorial survey by Pulse Asia.

Pulse Asia said 14 candidates have a statistical chance of winning Senate seats if the elections were held during the Feb. 21 to 25 survey period.

The non-commissioned survey showed Revilla getting 53.6 percent of votes, which translates to a statistical ranking of 1st to 3rd place. He is in a statistical tie with Estrada, who got 52.6 percent of the votes.

Santiago received 49.4 percent of votes, which places her anywhere from 1st to 5th.

Another re-electionist, Sen. Pia Cayetano, who received 45.4 percent, ranks 3rd to 6th.

Cayetano shared the same statistical ranking as former Senate president Franklin Drilon with 45 percent.

In sixth place is Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (43.8 percent) with a statistical ranking of 4th to 6th.

Other senatorial candidates who have a statistical chance of winning were former senator Tito Sotto with 33.2 percent, former senator and former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director general Ralph Recto (33.1 percent), former senator Serge Osmeña (29.1 percent), Ilocos Norte Rep. Bongbong Marcos (28.2 percent).

‘Name narco-politicos’

US report on drugs sets off alarm bells

By Norman Bordadora, Cathy C. Yamsuan (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100304-256548/Name-narco-politicos

MANILA, Philippines—A flurry of calls for names to be named was raised Wednesday in reaction to the United States’ expressed concern about the possibility of narco-politics influencing the Philippine elections on May 10.
Sen. Francis Escudero said the US Department of State itself should name the candidates receiving drug money from traffickers for their campaign, “so that the voters would know and give time for these candidates to explain and deny” the accusation.
“It’s also important to know this so that any presidential candidate is not ... held by the neck by drug lords,” Escudero told reporters.
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, the vice presidential candidate of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and president of the United Opposition, urged the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to produce a list of politicians benefiting from the multibillion-peso drug trade.

Estrada not allowed to campaign in La Union

from The Manila Times

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/top-stories/12377-estrada-not-allowed-to-campaign-in-la-union-


Former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, was not allowed hold his campaign in La Union Friday the same day Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro is scheduled to visit the students of Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University. According to Rep. Victor Ortega of First District of La Union there was a request from the camp of Estrada if they could campaign in the same venue where Teodoro met the students, however, they decided to turn it down to prevent possible complications.

“We arranged for this meeting. They [Estrada’s camp] can come here any day, any other day, but not today. It could erupt into trouble,” Ortega said.

The lawmaker, however, made it clear that they are not barring Estrada to campaign, in fact, he said, Estrada and other candidates of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) is welcome to campaign and he is willing to escort them but not on same day the administration party bet is holding his campaign.

Villar gets Magdalo Group backing

by Rene Acosta (Business Mirror)

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22269:villar-gets-magdalo-group-backing&catid=26:nation&Itemid=63

 

THE group of junior military officers headed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, which tried to oust President Arroyo in 2003, has thrown its support behind the presidential candidacy of Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar of the Nacionalista Party (NP).

The decision by the group, which has 400 national and local chapters with more than 50,000 members, to support the candidacy of Villar was announced on Wednesday by discharged Air Force lieutenant Ashley Acedillo, the group’s spokesman.

Acedillo said that aside from Villar, the Magdalo Group also endorsed the candidacies of Sen. Mar Roxas II for vice president and Ariel Querubin, Pia Cayetano, Jinggoy Estrada, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Toots Ople, Gilbert Remulla, Adel Tamano, Danilo Lim, Ruffy Biazon, Vicente Sotto, JV Bautista and Joey de Venecia for senator.

Teodoro overtakes Villar in Davao City survey

by Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star)

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=552347&publicationSubCategoryId=67

 

MANILA, Philippines - Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. has overtaken Sen. Manuel Villar as the second most preferred presidential candidate – at least in Davao City.

A survey conducted last Feb. 1-8 among 700 city residents by the polling firm Issues and Advocacy Center (The Center) showed Liberal Party candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III leading the race with 37 percent.

Teodoro came in second with 23 percent, followed by Villar, 15 percent; Sen. Richard Gordon, 11 percent; and former President Joseph Estrada, eight percent.

Davao City has more than 948,000 voters.

Sotto, kay Noynoy sasama

ni Rey Marfil (Abante)
http://abante-tonite.com/issue/feb1510/news_7.htm

Hindi ang dating kapartidong si Ex-Defense Secre­tary Gilberto ‘Gibo’ Teodoro Jr., kundi ang utol ni Kris Aquino na si Sen. Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III ang handang samahan at ikampanya ni senatorial bet Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III sa kanyang pag-iikot.

Ayon kay Sotto, nag-iisang senatorial bet ng Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), malaking factor sa kanyang desisyon ang naka­babatang kapatid ni Aquino.

Bagama’t tatlo ang pinagpipiliang presidentiables, sina Aquino, Nacionalista Party (NP) bet Sen. Manuel ‘Manny’ Villar Jr. at Bangong Pilipinas bet brother Eddie Villa­nueva, nilinaw ni Sotto na mahirap tanggihan si Kris.

Kahit running mate ni Sen. Loren Legarda na kanyang kapartido sa NPC si Villar, hindi magdadalawang-isip si Sotto na dalhin si Aquino kapag kinausap ni Kris ito.

“Dapat ako ang ligawan nila. Pero kapag niyaya ako ni Kris, ‘di ako makakatanggi,” ani Sotto, kilalang kaibigang matalik ni dating Senadora Tessie Aquino-Oreta na kapartido sa NPC.

Bagama’t kumpleto na ang 12-man senatorial line-up ng Liberal Party (LP), hindi pa rin maialis ang posibilidad na paatrasin ang mahinang kandidato at ampunin ang ilang inde­pendent senatorial bets, katulad ni Sotto.

Ban on celebrities endorsing bets unfair—Sotto

By Leila Salaverria (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100211-252589/Ban-on-celebrities-endorsing-bets-unfairSotto

MANILA, Philippines – Senatorial candidate Vicente Sotto III has called the law requiring actors to go on leave if they were endorsing election candidates during the campaign as unfair and would put Liberal Party standard-bearer Benigno Aquino III at a disadvantage.

At the same time, it would favor Lakas-Kampi candidate Gilbert Teodoro Jr. because he has no celebrity endorsers with ongoing live TV shows, Sotto said.

Although Sotto has said it could also favor Nacionalista Party candidate Manuel Villar, only Dolphy has no active TV show at the moment among Villar’s celebrity endorsers. TV host Willie Revillame and singer actress Sarah Geronimo, also Villar endorsers, continue to appear in TV shows.

The most well-known celebrity in Teodoro's camp, on the other hand, is senatorial candidate Ramon Revilla Jr.

Tito Sotto: I have done something for Cebu

from the FREEMAN

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=548338&publicationSubCategoryId=107

CEBU, Philippines - Former Dangerous Drugs Board chairman and senatorial bet Vicente “Tito” Sotto III yesterday refuted reports that while he claims he is a Cebuano, he has done nothing for Cebu.

“In my projects, we spent a total of about P23 million in Cebu. In other projects naman, I built the only women and children crisis center in the Philippines here in Cebu. I doubt if there is any senator who has that anywhere in the Philippines,” Sotto said.

Sotto launched yesterday his campaign in Cebu tracing roots here and reminding the Cebuanos that much work has yet to be done to solve the problem of prohibited drugs especially as Cebu, according to statistics, is the most problematic next to National Capital Region in terms of drug dependency.

Sotto kicked off his campaign with a Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral at 10 a.m.

“The best thing to do in any undertaking is to ask for God’s blessing and start on the right foot. My roots are here because my great grand father is always a Cebuano. He has helped built Cebu along with the Osmeñas,” he said.