Villar vows to bring home stranded OFWs on Day 1 of presidency

By Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star)
Link:http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=572441&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Sen. Manny Villar has reiterated his vow to bring distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) back to the country and provide them with jobs and livelihood opportunities.

In his speech at his campaign rally in Vigan last Sunday night, Villar said this policy would be set into motion on Day One of his presidency.

He promised to establish a country that can provide opportunities to Filipinos so parents do not have to leave their families and children behind in order to work abroad.

Villar strongly believes a dream Philippines can be achieved by investing heavily on developing a “strong entrepreneurial class” by funneling credit to small and medium-scale enterprises.

He is also pushing for labor-intensive industries like tourism and the service industry.

According to records, close to two million Filipinos left the country to work abroad, which roughly translates to 4,500 workers being deployed daily-a record-high in overseas deployment.

Once-reluctant Aquino ready to lead the Philippines

By Agence France-Presse (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100429-267127/Once-reluctant-Aquino-ready-to-lead-the-Philippines

CALUMPIT, Bulacan, Philippines—Standing on the back of a truck throwing wristbands to an endless stream of people chanting his name, Senator Benigno Aquino III smiles and says he can almost feel the Philippine presidency.

Less than a year ago the quietly spoken Aquino publicly vacillated on whether he wanted to continue the imposing work of his famous parents, who are regarded as democracy heroes in this impoverished Southeast Asian nation.

But, with elections less than two weeks away, he now appears passionate in wanting to be president and more comfortable with the hopes so many have for him as the country's savior.

"You feel that things that weren't considered possible a few months ago are in the realms of possibility," Aquino, 50, told Agence France-Presse from aboard the flatbed truck as it embarked on a pulsating five-hour campaign procession.

Teodoro camp: Inquirer coverage fair, disclaims ad vs PDI

By TJ Burgonio (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100430-267248/Teodoro-camp-Inquirer-coverage-fair-disclaims-ad-vs-PDI

MANILA, Philippines—The camp of administration standard-bearer Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. has distanced itself from a print ad questioning a Philippine Daily Inquirer story about Teodoro’s campaign rally in Davao City and the paper’s supposed bias for another candidate.

Mike Toledo, spokesperson for Teodoro, confirmed that a group of volunteers in Davao City had paid for the ad that came out in another broadsheet last Wednesday.

“The ads being brought out by volunteers are ads made on their own. We have nothing to do with the ads put out by volunteers,” Toledo said by phone the other night. But he said Teodoro’s media bureau respected the volunteers’ right to put out the advertisement.

Raymundo Roquero, secretary general of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, under whose banner Teodoro is running, also said the party had no hand in the ad and that the Inquirer had been fair in its coverage of Teodoro’s campaign.

Erap tied with Villar in latest Pulse Asia poll

By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)
Link:http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=571135&publicationSubCategoryId=63


MANILA, Philippines - With elections less than two weeks away, the tandem of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard-bearer former President Joseph Estrada and running mate Jejomar Binay surged to the number two spot.

Results of Pulse Asia’s latest pre-election survey showed that Estrada and Nacionalista Party (NP) bet Sen. Manuel Villar are now tied at second place with 20 percent each.

Binay, showing strong improvement, also overtook NP bet Sen. Loren Legarda for second place (28 percent versus 20 percent).

Pulse Asia said Binay gained nine percentage points in electoral support while Legarda’s score dropped from 23 percent in March to 20 percent in a survey conducted from April 23 to 25.

Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno Aquino III is still dominating the race with 39 percent or four in 10 Filipino voters showing preference for him. Aquino is leading by 19 points over Villar and Estrada.

NP bet admits meeting with Ampatuan Sr.

By Nikko Dizon ( Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100427-266668/NP-bet-admits-meeting-with-Ampatuan-Sr

MANILA, Philippines—Tensions rose in a press conference of Nacionalista Party senatorial candidates after one of them admitted having met with former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr.
Gilbert Remulla, who is also the NP spokesperson, said he visited Ampatuan in April when the latter was confined in a military hospital in Davao City.
“Yes, I did it, I don’t deny it,” Remulla said when asked by the Inquirer to confirm a report that came out last week.

“But I don’t want to elaborate on it for personal and security reasons. Every parent will understand. But my stand against the Maguindanao massacre is even stronger than before. The victims of the massacre must be given justice and the prime suspects should be tried,” he said.

On April 15, Ampatuan’s son Andal Ampatuan Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay, Maguindanao, who stands accused of carrying out the country’s worst election-related killings, was seen on national television wearing two NP baller IDs at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City where he was transferred from the National Bureau of Investigation in Manila.

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.

Nograles warns: More Lakas members to quit on Teodoro

By Abigail Kwok (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/topstories/topstories/view/20100426-266539/Nograles-warns-More-Lakas-members-to-quit-on-Teodoro

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — (UPDATE) House Speaker and city mayoral candidate Prospero Nograles on Monday warned that more members of the administration’s Lakas-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) will quit on the party’s standard bearer Gilbert Teodoro as Election Day nears.

“The old members of Lakas have left him and others will leave Gibo very, very soon because they feel he has a very slim chance to win,” Nograles said in a statement.

“He has not taken off,” Nograles said, referring to Teodoro’s struggle in the surveys. “And he quit on Lakas in midstream. We have no choice but to quit on him also.”

Nograles had earlier threatened to leave Lakas-Kampi-CMD as he claimed that the party was being run without consultation with its members.

Gibo endorses Duterte; rift with Nograles worsens

By Jaime Laude (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=570180&publicationSubCategoryId=63

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Any possible reconciliation between Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Speaker Prospero Nograles fell through when the House leader went ballistic against the former Defense secretary here.

In a strongly worded media statement yesterday, Nograles described Teodoro’s public recognition of his main rivals – city Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Sarah Duterte – as an affront to the party leadership.

Speaking at a huge political rally at Rizal Park here Saturday, Teodoro described before the roaring crowd that the Dutertes were good leaders and good friends of his.

“He (Teodoro) quit on Lakas in midstream and we have no choice but to quit on him also,” said Nograles, referring to Teodoro’s sudden resignation as party chairman.

But lawyer Mike Toledo clarified that Teodoro’s acknowledgment of the Dutertes should not be seen as a form of endorsement.

Gordon sues SWS, Pulse Asia

By Reinir Padua (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=569021&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - Bagumbayan presidential candidate Sen. Richard Gordon yesterday filed with the Quezon City Regional Trial Court a P650,000 civil suit against survey firms Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia Inc. for negatively affecting his campaign.

Gordon asked the court to temporarily restrain the polling firms from conducting surveys and publishing survey results.

Gordon asked for P100,000 in nominal and tem perate damages, P500,000 in exemplary damages, and P50,000 in attorney’s fees.

“Without regard to their fundamental duty to act with justice to observe honesty and good faith, defendants SWS and Pulse Asia, for pecuniary gain and solely for reasons intended to favor their moneyed clients, have published false, fraudulent, biased and defective surveys which have undermined the campaign of Senator Gordon and (former MMDA) Chairman Bayani (Fernando) and made them as unwinnable contenders for president and vice president, respectively,” the 26-page complaint said.

Loren lashes out at bashers

BY JP LOPEZ (Malaya)
Link: http://www.malaya.com.ph/04232010/news9.html

BACOLOD CITY – Nacionalista Party vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda on Thursday described as "delusional" the candidates of Liberal Party for linking her and her party to the move of Andal Ampatuan Jr., prime suspect in the Maguindanao massacre, to endorse the candidacy of Benigno Aquino III and his running-mate Manuel Roxas II.

"My only response is one word, delusional. Wag kayo mawawala sa sarili!" she said.

"Yung presidential candidate, yung president nila wala sa isip, yung vice presidential candidate nagpapadyak, umiiyak pag nag-aalyansa ang NP-NPC. Yung mga kanditotong vice president at pagka-senador delusional. Sana magpakatotoo naman ang mga Liberal. Wag naman delusional," she added.

Sen. Edgardo Angara said it was malicious of the LP to link him, through his lawyers, to the endorsement of Ampatuan, who last week proclaimed he was for the NP’s Manny Villar.

The endorsement was made in a press conference held by the detainee.

Gibo, Erap lead mock polls in Metro

By Jaime Laude (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=568870&publicationSubCategoryId=65

MANILA, Philippines - Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential candidate and former defense secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino former President Joseph Estrada are dominating mock polls in Metro Manila’s slum districts, newly-formed “Green Army Brigades” (GAB) bared yesterday.

Daisy Bardoquillo, head of the Kilusan ng mga Aktwal na Naninirahan sa Estado ng Payatas (Kanepa) and spokesperson of the newly-formed Green Army Brigades, said that results of mock polls they have been conducting since last month among informal settlers in Metro Manila, were in total contrast to the survey results being released by the Social Weather Station (SWS) and the Pulse Asia.

“Our own surveys had Teodoro winning popular support among the urban poor. In six big events attended by leaders of urban poor groups held in March and early April, a total of 963 joined the mock polls conducted after the meetings,” Bardoquillo said. Joven Pajora, president of the Parola Binondo Coalition, also of GAB said Teodoro was the top choice for President with 464 respondents voting for him.

Bets’ ad budgets top funding for govt hospitals

BY FRANK LLOYD TIONGSON Reporter (The Manila Times )
Link: http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/top-stories/15781-bets-ad-budgets-top-funding-for-govt-hospitals

A consortium of electoral-reform advocates and civil society groups on Wednesday renewed calls for stricter regulation of provisions of the Fair Election Practices Act after they found that spending on advertisements of top contenders for the highest elective posts in the country exceeds that of the government on state hospitals and social services.

The Pera’t Politika (PaP) 2010 Consortium told reporters during a press conference in Quezon City on Wednesday that Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. had spent P273 million on advertisements during the first 60 days of the campaign period and Sen. Bengino “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd, P176 million.

In surveys, Villar and Aquino are the frontrunners in the May 10 elections, which will pick the successor to President Gloria Arroyo.

According to the PaP 2010 Consortium, Villar’s P273 million is more than the allocated budget for state hospitals such as the Quirino Memorial Medical Center with P207 million and the Amang Rodriguez Medical Center with P179 million, among others.

Lakas expects defectors from rival camps

By Jefferson Antiporda, Francis Earl A. Cueto and Rhadz B. Barcia(The Manila Times) 

Link: http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/top-stories/15782-lakas-expects-defectors-from-rival-camps

THINGS are looking up for former Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro because stalwarts from other political parties are reportedly planning to jump ship and support the ruling party’s standard-bearer in the May 10 elections.

According to Reggie Velasco, the deputy secretary general of Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), more politicians from the rival parties have signified their intention to support Teodoro, whom they said is the most qualified among the candidates seeking to succeed President Gloria Arroyo.

Velasco said things are still under negotiations and that they could not disclose any details yet on the transfer of the politicians to the ruling party. What is sure, according to him, is that there are politicians who have sent feelers to defect to the camp of Teodoro.

Meanwhile, Rep. Amelita Villarosa of Occidental Mindoro, the Lakas-Kampi CMD chairman, has announced that Rep. George Arnaiz of Negros Oriental, who belongs to the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), would be supporting the bid of the former Defense secretary but that Arnaiz will stay with his current party.

Gibo to pull off come from behind victory - Lakas

By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=568673&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro Jr. would pull a “come from behind victory” with the resurgence of support for him three weeks before the May 10 elections, party officials said yesterday.

Speaking to reporters, Ray Roquero, Lakas-Kampi secretary-general, said attacks against Teodoro, who continues to place fourth in surveys, have backfired.

“There is such a thing as a come from behind victory, and we can see the campaign being galvanized, the black propaganda being waged against us by the opposition seemed to have backfired and favored us,” he said.

“We have seen unheard-of groups now helping us in the provinces. All the sorties now of Gibo (Teodoro) are packed even if there are no artistas (stars) but they come and we are very happy about this development.”

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.

Gibo tops online survey; Erap second, Noynoy fourth

By Charlie V. Manalo (The Daily Tribune)
Link: http://www.tribune.net.ph/

Debunking results from long suspected-tainted opinion polling firms, voters in an on-line survey picked administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro as top bet, deposed President Joseph Estrada a close second, while perennial survey frontrunner Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III landed a mere fourth place behind fierce rival, Sen. Manuel “Manny Villar Jr.

It was Teodoro’s third time in a week’s time to either come out No. 1 or No.2, having topped the online polls conducted by the Manila Bulletin newspaper. He also came in second in a separate survey done by Dutch finance giant ING.

This time in the BusinessWorld survey, Gibo picked up 26.50 percent of the 102,057 voters polled to top the poll; followed by Pwersa ng Masa’s Estrada with 25.77 percent.

Villar, of the Nacionalista Party, came in third place with 19.07 percent; while Aquino of the Liberal Party came in fourth place with 18.62 percent.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva of the Bangon Pilipinas party was fifth with 2.52 percent, followed by Nicanor Perlas III (2.53 percent); John Carlos “JC” de los Reyes (1.90 percent); Jamby Madrigal (1.71 percent); and Richard Gordon (1.56 percent).

Teodoro to maintain principled fight

By Paolo Romero ( The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=568399&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - With elections just two weeks away, administration presidential candidate Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro vowed to focus on positive issues.

Teodoro said he would not yield to pressures to engage in dirty campaigning just to boost his ratings.

Teodoro said he would stay the course to campaign positively instead of engaging in a word war like that between frontrunners Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar.

Teodoro though admitted he had issues of his own to contend with, particularly the defections of key leaders of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD to the NP and LP.

Spokesman Mike Toledo pointed out that since the campaign started in February, Teodoro has never resorted to “dirty campaigning or black propaganda” and maintained his positive campaign that presented his platform of government.

Minority tag looms for Lakas Defections mean loss of dominant status

BY BERNICE CAMILLE V. BAUZON Reporter ( The Manila Times )
Link: http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/top-stories/15348-minority-tag-looms-for-lakas

Defections of members of the administration party Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) could lead to the ruling coalition losing its claim to dominant majority party status in the May 10 elections, a high-ranking official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Thursday.

But according to Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, they still would look into political developments within political parties to determine which party should be declared as the dominant majority party and as the dominant minority party in next month’s polls.

He said that it would not matter if only Lakas-Kampi CMD was the only one to apply for the dominant majority party status.

Sarmiento added that the poll body could go around and declare another party as the dominant one.

NP to Aquino: Come clean on security agency

By Michael Lim Ubac ( Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100416-264533/NP-to-Aquino-Come-clean-on-security-agency

MANILA, Philippines—The Nacionalista Party (NP) on Thursday urged Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to tell the truth regarding his involvement in a security agency that obtained government contracts during his mother’s presidency.

NP spokesperson Gilbert Remulla scoffed at Aquino’s claim that he had divested from Best Security Agency (BSA) when his mother, Corazon Aquino, became president.

In an interview, Remulla said BSA’s Articles of Incorporation on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) showed the agency was formed in November 1986, well after Aquino’s mother had assumed the presidency.

“The truth is that Noynoy put up BSA on Nov. 6, 1986, or nine months into the presidency of his mother,” said Remulla, an NP senatorial candidate.

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.