Noynoy holds wide margin in latest Pulse Asia survey

by ROMMEL C. LONTAYAO (The Manila Times) Jan 20, 2010

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/top-stories/9995-noynoy-holds-wide-margin-in-latest-pulse-asia-survey

Less than five months before the elections, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd continued to lead other presidential candidates by a sizeable margin, pollster Pulse Asia reported Tuesday.

Aquino of the Liberal Party was favored by 45 percent of the respondents in the nationwide pre-elections survey by Pulse Asia.

Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. of the rival Nacionalista Party received 23 percent, and former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada of the Partido ng Masamang Pilipino (PMP) got 19 percent of the respondents’ votes.

Aquino, Villar and Estrada all belong to parties allied with the opposition.

The administration candidate, former Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro of Lakas-Kampi CMD, received 5 percent in the latest Pulse Asia survey.

Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon and evangelist Brother Eddie Villanueva each received 1 percent.

The ranking of those candidates has been similar to that of previous surveys of presidential aspirants.

Binay: I won't grab power from next president

by Jose Rodel Clapano (The Philippine Star) Jan 20, 2010

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=542216&publicationSubCategoryId=65

MANILA, Philippines - Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay said Sunday night that the next president can sleep well if he is elected vice president.

“I will not grab power. I will be a partner of the president and I will support whatever he will do,” he said during GMA-7’s televised vice presidential debate. Binay is president of the United Opposition and running mate of former President Joseph Estrada.

Binay said he initially planned to run for president, but decided to slide down to vice president after Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III declared his presidential bid.

“I cannot run against Noynoy because I have big debt of gratitude to his mother, the late former President Cory Aquino. I would not have been in my place right now, had it not been for President Aquino,” he said.

Binay said as a member of the opposition, he cannot run against Estrada “because he is the leader of the opposition and I recognize his leadership. I cannot be a good leader if I cannot be a good follower.”

He said if he is elected vice president, he will work for the “true decentralization” of local government units (LGUs).

“What we have right now is not the real decentralization because the budget is still controlled by Malacañang. We must make decentralization a reality. Makati is an example of a working local government unit,” Binay said.

Binay said the city government of Makati, under his administration, has been a recipient of many awards because of its programs for the disabled.

He said the benefits the city government is giving to senior citizens – such as free entry to movie houses, P1,000 cash gift and cakes during their birthdays and P2,000 bonuses every year – are the same benefits given to persons with disabilities (PWDs). “Makati is the only LGU that is doing this,” Binay said.

Binay said he does not oppose people from prominent political clans running for public office so long as they are “competent, capable and highly qualified to lead. What is important is you are elected through a clean election.”

Political war in the Internet

by Nestor Mata (Malaya) Jan 19, 2010
http://www.malaya.com.ph/01192010/edmata.html


THE POLITICAL propaganda war has found a new battlefield – The Internet.

Both camps of Manny Villar and Noynoy Aquino have been using it obviously aimed at young Filipino voters.

It’s quite a different ball game really. Not the usual quaggy atmosphere we experience during national elections, especially in the hotly-contested race to the presidency this coming May. You don’t see in the Websites the litter of propaganda detritus.

Remarkably, the Websites carry intelligent, apolitical comments about Aquino and Villar, the two would-be presidents now leading the pack of so-called "presidentiables" from persons ranging from alumni of the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University to a journalist-teacher.

So far, we have already reported on the sober political views of an Upsilonian from the State University as well as an Atenean from the Ateneo University.

The Atenean, by the way, appears to be a corporate man to judge by his thinking of the kind of president he would vote for, that is, one who the abilities of a corporate CEO. He has already distributed his article among Ateneo alumni groups.

Kin of presidential bets should behave, says party-list rep

By Leila Salaverria (Philippine Daily Inquirer) Jan 19, 2010)

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100118-248073/Kin-of-presidential-bets-should-behave-says-party-list-rep

MANILA, Philippines—If there's a lesson to be learned from the whole drama surrounding television host and actress Kris Aquino's marriage, it is that candidates for president should tell their kin to behave, according to a party-list representative.

Kabataan Representative Raymond Palatino said all aspirants for public office should realize that it is not only them but their relatives who are in the public eye, and the line is thin, if not non-existent, between their private and public activities.

“This is a lesson for all politicians, especially those running during the elections that they should talk to their relatives and families that they should think twice about everything they would do. This is because any action, whether good or bad or right or wrong, would be associated with the candidate,” Palatino told reporters.

In the case of Aquino, whose brother Senator Benigno Aquino III is the standard bearer of the Liberal Party (LP), her confrontation with the woman who was constantly calling her husband was a public matter, according to Palatino.

He said that as an actress and the daughter of a former president, she should know that her activities would be associated with her relatives who are in politics.

A relative of Mayen Austria, the woman whom Aquino confronted, had indicated that they would not vote for the TV host's brother anymore because of what happened.

Palatino is allied with the left-leaning militants, whose two members are running under the Nacionalista Party.

But Akbayan Representative Risa Hontiveros, who is a senatorial candidate of Senator Aquino's LP, said the younger Aquino's privacy should be respected.

Hontiveros said people should not meddle in matters between spouses concerning their marriage, and politics not be mixed into the issue.

What should be the focus is the actual candidate's performance, she said.

“What is fair game is the attitude and track record of Aquino and the other presidentiables,” she told reporters.

Fernando: If elected, I have political will to enforce laws

by Mike Frialde (The Philippine Star) Jan 19, 2010

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=541973&publicationSubCategoryId=65

MANILA, Philippines - Former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando said Sunday that if he is elected as vice president, his “political will” to enforce the laws will be his main contribution to Philippine politics.

“If I win, that will be my part, that incumbent officials will have the courage (to do their job). They will say, look at Bayani, he did what he had to do, even if it will make some people angry,” he said in Filipino in response to a question by journalist Howie Severino during the vice presidential forum aired over GMA 7.

Fernando, who is running under the Bagumbayan party with Sen. Richard Gordon, said political will has now become a buzzword among many Filipinos, especially after his stint at the MMDA.

“I have accomplished what is important for this country – to enforce the laws, which is the true solution to our problems,” he said.

In answering another question by journalist Jessica Soho, Fernando denied he made money from his stint as MMDA chairman.

According to Fernando, while his family owns BF Metal Corp., which specializes in steel fabrication, the company did not engage in business with the MMDA.

He said he himself designed the footbridges and pink fences to save on cost. He said the fences were made at the MMDA metalworking shop, while other companies made the footbridges under contract.

“Not one kilo of the steel came from (BF Metal Corp.),” he said.

Fernando, during the forum, also repeated his earlier statement that should he fail to be elected in May, he will retire from politics. He said that his almost 40 years of service in the private and public sectors is more than enough.

When asked by Mike Enriquez, the forum host, why he chose to run as vice president when he had previously eyed the presidency, Fernando answered it was forced on him by the decision of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party when it did not choose him as its standard-bearer.

Fernando said when Lakas dropped him, he looked for other political parties to join and he found Gordon’s Bagumbayan.

Fernando also said he found a good partnership in Gordon, whom he said was the better and more experienced candidate for the presidency. He said he has 17 years of public service, while Gordon has 33.

“While we had the same start (as a local official) and style, experience is needed. There is no substitute for experience,” he said.

‘Erap’ party win seen in Region 8

By RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT (Manila Bulletin) Jan 19, 2010

http://mb.com.ph/articles/239079/erap-party-win-seen-region-8

TACLOBAN CITY — The Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) Eastern Visayas Chapter is confident that it will have a good showing in Region 8 come the 2010 national elections.

Romualda “Nene” Amago, PMP Eastern Visayas regional chairman, told reporters in a press conference, that her party in Eastern Visayas is getting stronger and showing a good performance and attracting more adherents and supporters from the regional down to the barangay level.

Amago claimed that at present the candidates under her party have doubled compared to the 2007 elections. She disclosed that her party has candidates for the congressional, provincial down to municipal levels all over the region.

She added that with this present trend she is confident that the party of former President Joseph 'Erap' Estrada in Region 8 will push for the victory of the PMP candidates this coming May elections.

Maza, Marcos to join common NP sorties

By Leila Salaverria (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100118-248076/Maza-Marcos-to-join-common-NP-sorties

MANILA, Philippines—Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos can look forward to spending more time together.

Maza on Monday said she and Marcos would be in one group of the Nacionalista Party senatorial candidates touring the country during the campaign period.

The NP divided its 12 senatorial candidates into two groups to maximize the exposure of the party's candidates. Maza would be in one group while Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo would be in another group of senatorial candidates.

Maza and Ocampo joined the NP and endorsed its top two bets, but have refused to support Marcos, whose inclusion in the party slate almost led to the two Bayan Muna representatives to reject the party.

The militants have been critical of the Marcoses, saying no member of the family have shown remorse for the wrongdoing committed during the regime of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Ocampo was among those thrown in prison and tortured when the elder Marcos imposed martial law.

Maza said she plans to simply avoid standing next to Marcos during the sorties.

“Of course, it would be difficult for me to raise his hand. I will make sure we will not be beside each other,” Maza said when asked how she would deal with being with Marcos on the same stage.

Marcos earlier said he hoped to have a “good working relationship” with the militants and was willing to be on the same stage with them.

Noynoy drops to 31% in survey

By Charlie V. Manalo (The Daily Tribune) Jan 19, 2010

http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20100119hed5.html

Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino still leads in the surveys, but his numbers have dropped dramatically, with respondents now giving him only a 31 percent vote, in the latest survey conducted by The Center.

This was bared by Ed Malay, executive director of The Issues and Advocacy Center (The Center), following its non-commissioned nationwide survey on Jan. 5 to 12, 2010.

In the The Center’s latest survey, Noynoy paced Villar with 31 percent rating with the latter garnering 24 percent approval from the 1,200 respondents nationwide.

Administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro appeared to have gained the votes that Aquino lost, as he registered a two digit vote, at 10 percent.

Former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada’s ranking and figures remained unchanged, at 19 percent of the vote.

Malay said that while technically, there are only five presidential bets who can be considered to be still in the race - Aquino, Villar, Estrada, Teodoro, and Sen. Richard Gordon, the ratings had hardly changed with the changes in the rankings from among the senatorial aspirants remaining hardly noticeable.

What may be seen as signifiant is that the sons of some of the previous political leaders of this country, according to Malay, are all in the thick of the senatorial race and prominent among them are Rep. Teofisto “TG” Guingona, son of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona; Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, son of the late Ferdinand Marcos; Rep. Rozzano Biazon, son of Sen. Rodolfo Biazon. Another son of a former leader in Congress, businessman Joey de Venecia, the son of former Speaker Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr., is tied in 13th to 14th places.

Teodoro pulling out TV ad using ‘Posible’

by Aris R. Ilagan (Manila Bulletin)

http://mb.com.ph/articles/239075/teodoro-pulling-out-tv-ad-using-posible

 

Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. is set to launch in the coming days his new political television advertisement following his decision to pull out the controversial ad jingle composed by former Rivermaya lead singer Rico Blanco who accused the Teodoro camp of infringement of property rights for the unauthorized use of his song “Posible.”

As this developed, Teodoro expressed belief that the so-called Filipino “masa” has matured in the political sense that they can now analyze and appreciate a high-level campaign similar to what he is waging than just mere banking on an individual’s popularity in choosing their preferred candidate.

“Ako ay tiwala na ang masa ay may likas na galing, may likas na talino,” Teodoro said in an interview.

Teodoro lamented that some politicians are patronizing the “masa” as those who are incapable of digesting high level political issues that they are left with no other option but to appreciate the cheap gimmicks of candidates mostly banking on popularity than drum beating their platform of governance.

“We consider this kind of strategy as ‘patronizing’ and I will never do that to our fellow countrymen who we call the ‘masa’,” he emphasized.

Truth meter

from FRONTLINE by Ninez Cacho-Olivarez (The Daily Tribune)

http://www.tribune.net.ph/commentary/20100115com2.html

Survey frontrunners are at each other’s throats in their attempt at projecting themselves as oppositionists — in relation to Gloria Arroyo and her administration.

Liberal Party standard bearer, Noynoy Aquino, charged that Nacionalista Party presidential candidate Manny Villar was never in opposition to Gloria, and never attacked her, while Villar says that, apart from Aquino not having any legislative record of note, and no administrative or executive experience, he and his LP were close allies of the administration, while the Nacionalista members were in the forefront of the first impeachment proceedings against Gloria.

If the truth meter were out, it would show that both Aquino and Villar were enjoying themselves in bed with Gloria and her administration. And both were against the Estrada government, from the year 2000.

Both the Liberal Party and the Nacionalista Party and their leaders supported Gloria in her coup d’etat against Estrada, showing their complete disregard for the Constitution and its democratic processes.

Both Aquino and Villar supported Gloria Arroyo in 2004, and even when they knew that she had cheated to win the presidency, they continued to support her and her administration.

And as they were allies of Gloria then, they enjoyed all the perks and privileges of being a Malacañang ally.

Neither one ever attacked Gloria or her policies.

Presidential Policy Forum

by Dahli Aspillera (Malaya) Jan 18, 2010

http://www.malaya.com.ph/01182010/eddahli.html

I LEFT my sick bed Thursday hoping to see them all on stage at the C. P. Romulo Foundation and ANC Channel Presidential Policy Forum at AIM in Makati. Three came: Senator Richard Gordon, Gilbert Teodoro, and Sen. Manuel Villar who mostly used Pilipino for the native voters tuned in on radio, leaving the non-voting foreign diplomats inside the auditorium needing translations.

Quotable quotes of that morning:

"Where are the others?" – former President Fidel V. Ramos.

"You have to check our records. What have we done in the past?" – Villar.

"You cannot buy the presidency. You cannot inherit the presidency. You have to earn it." – Gordon.

"This is the problem with elections. We make a lot of promises. But the thing is, you ask us what we will do. And it’s also important to ask us whether we can do these things." – Villar.

"That is the paradox of Philippine society. The challenge is really to provide an example that you can lead fairly clearly. You don’t provide false expectations to our people. We, if God grants us to become president, are mere leaders of a movement, leaders of organization. The burden is shared not only among us but among citizens, not only collectively but individually." – Teodoro.

"We have to start believing that we are horizon chasers ... Action, not words. We have to look at track records of candidates ... Check our records. What did we do in our city? What did we do in our province? What did we do when we were congressmen, when we were senators, in the Cabinet?" – Gordon

Wrong focus

from FRONTLINE by Ninez Cacho-Olivares (The Daily Tribune) Jan 18, 2010

http://www.tribune.net.ph/commentary/20100118com2.html

Two things appear evident in the way the Liberal Party bets are going about their campaign: One is the old style adopted by Noynoy Aquino’s mother, Cory Aquino, on the “fight between good and evil” against then President Ferdinand Marcos, and two, the concentration of attacks on Gloria Arroyo, which still hews to the Cory days’ way of her campaign.

This particular style of campaigning on the Cory Aquino camp was mainly done to demonize Marcos, which was easy, due to the existence of martial rule for 14 years. The fight between good and evil spiel was also one way of attack where Cory’s lack of experience in governance could be evaded.

It is clear that Noynoy and his Yellows are taking the same path, projecting Noynoy as being unstained by corruption, and even coming up with that plastic pledge of his vowing never to steal from government.

His campaign, which he said would be focused on the “lapses of the Gloria administration” is also a throwback to the Cory way of campaigning.

It is also clear that this is Noynoy and his Yellows’ way of evading his responses to very valid issues raised against him, such as the SCTEX project where he and his family benefited from government funds and not even giving the Hacienda workers their just dues, as well as his lack of administrative experience and lack of a legislative record in the last 11 years he has been in Congress.

Poor Tondo family receives gift from Villar

from People Journal

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/metro/1068-poor-tondo-family-receives-gift-from-villar

AMBICO and Irene Loveras were overtaken with emotions when they were chosen by Nacionalista Party president Sen. Manny Villar as the recipient of a house and lot. The life-changing event for the couple took place during the celebration of the feast of Sto. Niño in Tondo as televised in GMA 7’s Sunday variety show SOP.

“Malapit talaga sa puso ko ang Tondo at masaya ako kapag nakakapunta ako dito dahil dito ako lumaki at nag-umpisang mangarap. Iskwater lang kami dito dati. Diyan (pointing to an area near the stage) kami naglalaro at nagsi-swimming noon pag umuulan,” said Villar, also referred to as “the poor boy from Tondo”.

According to Villar, Ambico, 45, and Irene, 31, were chosen among so many Tondo residents because of their dire circumstances and urgent needs. The Loveras couple has been moving from one house to another and struggling to pay the monthly rents. They have two sons, nine-year-old Ian and six-year-old Mico. Ian is afflicted with blood disease (beta thalassemia), which made life more burdensome for the family. If left untreated, the disease could lead to leukemia.

“Napag-alaman naming may sakit ang kanilang panganay na anak at kailangan ng isang malinis na kapaligiran upang mapabilis ang paggaling ng kanyang karamdaman. Mayroon din akong kapatid na namatay, dahil nga sa kahirapan namin ay wala kaming pambili ng gamot,” Villar said.

The head of the family, Ambico is engaged in the so-called “palit-damit” trade where he goes around various neighborhoods to ask people to exchange old clothes for various items such as houseware and small kitchen appliances. He gets only meager earnings of P300 from his occupation, most of which are spent to buy medicines for his son.

Digging one’s own grave

from Editorial (The Daily Tribune) Jan 18, 2010

http://www.tribune.net.ph/commentary/20100118com1.html

A new tack taken by Liberal Party (LP) candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino to steer clear of debates is a clear proof of his lack of mettle to handle the rigors of the presidency.

What made it worse was Aquino’s quip that instead of engaging in debates, he would rather concentrate on “finding lapses in governance.”

The problem with this is the fact that the time these lapses in Gloria’s governance should have been pointed out would have been from the day she grabbed power. And there were many, but neither Noynoy nor his Liberal Party ever “concentrated” on her lapses, such as the Impsa $14 million kickback, even when documented evidence was presented. Did we hear even a pip from Noynoy or the LP when all these “lapses” were exposed?

What about her having bribed the congressmen not to have her impeached. Why then didn’t this arrogant and ignorant Noynoy not come forth to denounce her then?

Why should they? For one Noynoy wasn’t even seen by the LPs as even senatorial material, much less presidential material.

And he and the LPs were all too protective of her then, being her allies.

Noynoy, Villar wooed Erap to withdraw from race but were spurned — JPE

By Angie M. Rosales (The Daily Tribune) Jan 18, 2010 
http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20100118hed5.html

Even as they presently lead various surveys on Filipino voters’ preference as the country’s next president, both Senators Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino and Manuel Villar Jr. tried in vain to convince former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada to withdraw from the race and obtain his endorsement, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile revealed yesterday.

But Enrile, in an interview with radio dzBB, stressed that Estrada would never withdraw from the 2010 presidential race. “I’m very certain he will not back out. If they (Estrada’s rivals) expect him to back out, they’re mistaken. He is not going to withdraw. He will pursue his candidacy through the end,” Enrile said.

Enrile claimed that in separate instances, the camps of Aquino and Villar had approached Estrada not only to seek his support but also to consider the possibility of “giving way” to their presidential aspirations.

In the case of Aquino, Enrile said it was his siblings who approached Estrada and tried to convince him to withdraw from the presidential race in favor of Noynoy’s candidacy. “I don’t know how the meeting transpired. All I know that he, along with his sisters went to see Estrada,” he added.

Enrile made this revelation on the heels of speculations that Estrada had already given in to either Aquino’s or Villar’s camp, that he was just trying looking for the right opportunity to time his announcement of withdrawal from the race, and that Estrada would opt to act as a “king-maker”endorsing the presidential bid of one of his rivals,

“That’s what they, those who want to get the support of Estrada followers, (want) to happen. They’re trying to mislead the public. But it’s not going to happen because he will proceed with his candidacy,” Enrile said.

Escudero backing Binay but not Estrada

Makati mayor and Escudero go a long way back

By Christian V. Esguerra (Philippine Daily Inquirer) Jan 18, 2010

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100118-247958/Escudero-backing-Binay-but-not-Estrada

MANILA, Philippines—Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero has thrown his support behind Partido ng Masang Pilipino’s vice presidential candidate, Makati Mayor Jejomar “Jojo” Binay, but is apparently not backing its standard-bearer, former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada.

In an interview with the Inquirer, Binay confirmed that Escudero, who backed out as standard-bearer of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) late last year, was joining his campaign, but added that it was “not a package deal”—meaning, Escudero made no commitment to support Estrada.

Escudero reportedly attended his first campaign meeting on Thursday, the day the Liberal Party faction led by ex-Manila Mayor Lito Atienza endorsed Estrada’s candidacy during a gathering at the Port Area.

“Yes, he is supporting my candidacy and I am very happy for that because we can learn a lot from him,” Binay said in Filipino, referring to Escudero’s experience during the presidential campaign for the late Fernando Poe Jr. in 2004.

“But it’s not a package deal,” he added, explaining that Escudero was not necessarily supporting Estrada’s bid as well.

Asked if reports were true that Escudero was backing Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III for president, Binay replied: “I don’t know. It’s precisely the reason why we have not decided on his actual role in the campaign. He might be helping another presidential candidate and it might eat up a lot of his time.”

May the best man win

from BABE'S EYE VIEW by Babe Romualdez (The Philippine Star) Jan 17, 2010

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=541469&publicationSubCategoryId=64

People who watched the “Presidential Policy Forum” last Thursday agree that it would have been better if all the presidentiables — or at least the five major candidates — showed up because it was a good opportunity for Filipinos to hear what their platforms are, their views on controversial topics and their plans on major issues that affect the country and the future of Filipinos. As it is, only three showed up — which certainly gave them the advantage over the no-shows.

Although Lakas-Kampi standard bearer Gilbert Teodoro’s rating continues to be in the single digit, his showing in these televised forums is undoubtedly impressive, with many people in the audience including UP students and professors agreeing that the former Defense Secretary is clear and articulate in delivering his message.

Of course, Dick Gordon’s Jesuit training has turned him into an eloquent speaker, his statements spiced up by literary quotations. Supporters of Gordon naturally point to the senator’s track record as Olongapo mayor and SBMA chair as proof that he has the necessary experience and knowhow when it comes to running the country.

For Manny Villar, it was a wise decision to make himself available since it belied allegations that he was avoiding presidential debates. His presence certainly gave him the chance to articulate his pro-poor stance and expound on his vision to fight poverty in this country. Many also like the fact that he was very conversant both in English and Filipino because it shows that he can be comfortable and express himself well before both the AB crowd and the DE sector.

Noynoy Aquino opted not to show up in Thursday’s forum, but in previous ones like ANC’s “Harapan: The Presidential Forum,” he was actually articulate and quite good. But being the frontrunner at this time, people would like to see more of him and hear how he intends to implement “the change” that he has been espousing.

‘Gibo’ bats for the tapping of nuke energy for power

from The Daily Tribune
http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/20100117nat3.html

In line with his goal of reducing the Philippines’ dependence on imported fossil fuel, Lakas-Kampi-Christian-Muslim Democrats standard-bearer Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. is urging the country’s energy officials to look into the possibility of building nuclear-powered plants in order to meet the domestic demand for cheap and easily produced electricity.

“After that all have been said and done, nuclear energy is still the safest, cleanest and cheapest form of alternative energy in the planet,” Teodoro said in a forum by presidential contenders held at the Philippine Christian University on Taft Avenue, Manila last Monday.

He said when maintained and operated properly by qualified nuclear technicians, nuclear-powered plants pose no great risk to the population and the environment.

Teodoro noted that nuclear energy’s cheapness and dependability can be attested by the fact that Abu Dhabi, one of the largest oil exporters in the world, recently granted a $25-billion contract to a South Korean firm to design and construct its first-ever nuclear energy generation facility.

He said most of the major countries in the world, Japan and China included, operate some form of nuclear energy extraction facility and none have yet to report experiencing a “meltdown” or reactor failure much dreaded by environmentalists and anti-nuclear energy advocates.

The 1989 Philippine Bar examination topnotcher also said technical and safety advances in  nuclear power extraction and engineering have greatly reduced the possibility of such incidents from ever happening.

“Advances in nuclear engineering and design have greatly precluded meltdowns or nuclear reactor failure from happening,” Teodoro stressed.

But the Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential candidate, however, clarified that he is not pushing for the activation of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), as “it is now obsolete by present standards.”

“It would be more cost-efficient for the government to build a new plant as retrofitting the BNPP to present-day standards is more expensive in the long run,” Teodoro said.

Show ability to lead nation, Palace tells Noynoy

by Marvin Sy (The Philippine Star) Jan 17, 2010 
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=541479&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang called on presidential aspirant Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to show his ability to lead the nation instead of waging a hate campaign against President Arroyo.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Aquino should engage in a positive campaign that highlights his own accomplishments rather than going after Mrs. Arroyo in what could be seen as a smear campaign.

“It would be better if he would just focus on his capability to lead, his track record and especially his platform of government,” Remonde said.

“In other words, people will appreciate him more if he will be more constructive rather than wage a campaign of hate against President Arroyo,” he added.

Aquino figured in a heated debate with his opponents in a recent televised debate when he declared his campaign would focus on the supposed administration lapses of Mrs. Arroyo.

Villar: Make money, not war, to solve Mindanao problem

By Michael Lim Ubac (Philippine Daily Inquirer) Jan 17, 2010

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100116-247748/Villar-Make-money-not-war-to-solve-Mindanao-problem

PRESIDENTIAL candidate Sen. Manny Villar will not follow the all-out war policy carried out by former President Joseph Estrada to solve the long drawn-out Mindanao conflict.

Short of quoting the famous campaign slogan of US President Bill Clinton in 1992, “It’s the economy, stupid,” the Nacionalista Party standard-bearer said that fixing the economy, not politics in Mindanao, would solve the centuries-old conflict, warlordism and underdevelopment in most parts of the South.

In recent presidential forums, Villar vowed to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit in Mindanao instead of launching an all-out war against the Moro separatist rebels.
 

If elected, Villar said he would seek lasting peace with the insurgents, promote a strong government presence in the region, and, above all, unleash the “entrepreneurial spirit of Mindanaoans.”

“If you see these areas, they are really in dire straits—people have no jobs, no education. The ARMM’s (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) human development index in education, health and livelihood is the lowest in the country,” he said at the presidential forum at La Salle Zobel.

Villar said the ARMM’s human development index was 0.5, the lowest in the Philippines, while the poverty level in the region was the highest.

“So the people are contented with just being bodyguards or they join the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or Moro National Liberation Front (which) give them money to buy food,” he said.

He said the solution was not to panhandle for foreign aid, but to encourage more people in Mindanao to become self-employed, which would transform the region’s economy.