Manual count junked

By RAYMUND F. ANTONIO (Manila Bulletin)
Link: http://mb.com.ph/articles/255262/manual-count-junked
 

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) junked Thursday the proposed parallel manual count in the country’s first automated elections on May 10, on the pretext that it would only open up opportunities for cheating.

In its unanimous decision, the poll body ruled that the manual count is not the “only” way to validate the electronic results of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines, as pressed by religious leaders, IT experts, the Makati Business Club (MBC), and even some of the candidates themselves.

Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez, who read the contents of the resolution before the media, said adopting such measure would have an adverse effect on the automation process such as the creation of discrepancies or errors in the tallying of votes.

“The Commission also cannot accept that the mere existence of disagreement between the hand and electronic count should automatically be interpreted as proof of the inaccuracy of the electronic count,” the seven-page resolution said.

Cheating on; bets bribing poll officials —DND chief

By Mario J. Mallari (The Daily Tribune)
Link: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100430hed3.html

Acting defense secretary Norberto Gonzales yesterday warned that there would be cheating in next month’s national elections as he said that several people were already trying to bribe polling officials and even the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“I’m telling you that the cheating has (already) begun,” Gonzales told a gathering of Christian and Muslim religious leaders. “There will be cheating in the coming elections.”

Gonzales did not say who was behind the cheating but said people had already begun trying to bribe members of the body overseeing the poll, the Commission on Elections.

“Money is being distributed to some officials already these days,” he said.

Gonzales bared that attempts to bribe some poll officials, the AFP and PNP to rig the results of the May 10 presidential elections.

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.

Comelec junks parallel manual count bid

By Kristine L. Alave, Leila B. Salaverria, Amy R. Remo (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100430-267246/Comelec-junks-parallel-manual-count-bid

MANILA, Philippines—A slide into chaos rather than a prescription for order.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Thursday junked a proposal by concerned business and legal groups to conduct a parallel manual count, at the very least in the presidential contest, to establish the credibility of the automated balloting on May 10.

In a strongly worded resolution, the Comelec en banc slammed proponents of the hybrid polling for “their lack of understanding of the ramifications of their demand” and said the proposal was “very risky.”

“Conducting a hand count of the ballots will open up the possibility of errors in tallying, as well as provide excellent opportunity for the perpetration of fraudulent acts, such as the deliberate shading of additional ovals or the defacing of the ballot security marks—to make it appear that more ballots were read than should have been,” it said.

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.

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.

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.

AFP on red alert in preparation for May 10 polls

By Alexis Romero (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=571133&publicationSubCategoryId=63


MANILA, Philippines - The military will be placed on red alert starting today as part of security preparations for the May 10 elections.

Col. Ricardo Nepomuceno, spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)–Task Force HOPE (Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections), said the red alert status will be implemented until May 20 to allow the military to monitor the security situation in the field.

“The red alert will start at 8 a.m. It will be nationwide. We will start the manning of our (HOPE) operations center and that is the signal for us to start implementing our security operations,” Nepomuceno said.

A red alert means that all the military personnel should be readily available for deployment anytime. Such alert level would also entail the cancellation of all leaves to ensure adequate manpower.

Comelec junks parallel count

By Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=571131&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - It’s official.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will only conduct a random manual audit of votes in the coming polls and not a full parallel manual count as demanded by some groups.

The decision sparked calls from various groups, including lawyers and business organizations, for street protests.

In a seven-page resolution, the Comelec denied for lack of legal basis the proposal to conduct a parallel manual count in all precincts for the positions of president, vice president, congressmen, governor and mayor.

“After having taken into consideration all the submissions of the various proponents, and after having considered the opinions of those who stand opposed, the Commission concludes that it cannot conduct a full parallel manual count,” the Comelec said.

Election 2010 News - April 28, 2010

• Parallel manual count gains Proponents cite need to protect election's integrity (Malaya)
• 'Poll survey undermining democratic processes (The Philippine Star)
• CBCP organizing nine-day novena for clean polls (The Philippine Star)
• Comelec junks disqualification case vs. Drilon.  (The Philippine Star)
• Teodoro: Who needs surveys? (Malaya)
• Discipline Gibo first for abandoning post - Nograles (The Daily Tribune)
• Volunteers vow to deliver 2.5 million votes for Gibo in Metro Manila (The Philippine Star)
• 
  

Parallel manual count gains Proponents cite need to protect election’s integrity

BY IRMA ISIP (Malaya)
Link: http://www.malaya.com.ph/04282010/news1.html

THE clamor for a parallel manual count has snowballed as the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) yesterday said it supports the proposal as a backup measure to protect the integrity of the May 10 automated elections.

The Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, information technology experts and cause-oriented groups had proposed the parallel manual count to ensure that the results are credible.

In a statement, ECOP said in any computerized election, redundancy is important to protect the election’s integrity and reliability.

However, ECOP wants the parallel manual count limited to the votes for president unlike the MBC, MAP which advocates manual count also for vice president, mayor and vice mayor.

'Poll surveys undermining democratic processes'

By Perseus Echeminada (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=570454&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - Ang Kapatiran vice presidential candidate Dominador Chipeco Jr. yesterday criticized the political surveys being conducted by survey firms, which he said is undermining the democratic processes of the coming May 10 elections.

Speaking with The STAR editors and reporters, Chipeco said that with the election just two weeks away, voters are now having second thoughts whether to vote or not for their candidates who are trailing in the surveys being conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia.

“My supporters would now think twice if they will still vote (for) me because I am in the tail end of the surveys. They might say their vote is a waste because of the survey result,” he said.

Chipeco said that even educated and mature people are affected by the results of surveys and because of mind conditioning, the freedom to choose their own candidates is now jeopardized.

CBCP organizing nine-day novena for clean polls

By Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=570448&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Media Office director Monsignor Pedro Quitorio III said they are organizing a nine-day novena for clean, honest, orderly and peaceful elections.

Quitorio said they are finalizing plans to hold the novena either at the chapel inside the Archdiocese of Manila or at the Manila Cathedral.

The 12-hour novena will be held from May 3 to May 11, from noon until midnight.

“We believe that in all the social upheavals in our country, there is a role for divine intervention. So we think of holding a vigil for several hours everyday, organizing lay organizations that are near the Commission on Elections (Comelec),” Quitorio said.

They would ask bishops to participate in the novena and organize prayer vigils in their respective dioceses for the same intention.

This project is supported by CBCP president Tandag, Surigao del Sur Bishop Nereo Odchimar and Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales.

Comelec junks disqualification case vs Drilon

By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=570443&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) junked a disqualification case filed against former Senate president Franklin Drilon, allowing him to pursue his senatorial bid in the May 10 elections.

In a nine-page decision released yesterday, the Comelec’s First Division dismissed for “utter lack of merit” the petition filed by a certain Vladimir Alarique Cabigao seeking Drilon’s disqualification.

“In the instant case, it has been shown that Drilon had a hiatus of three years since his second consecutive term as senator. Consequently, there can be no doubt as to his eligibility to run for a Senate seat in the 2010 national elections,” the resolution, signed by Commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Armando Velasco and Gregorio Larrazabal, stated.

Cabigao alleged that Drilon’s filing of his certificate of candidacy for the 2010 elections is prohibited by the Constitution because he would be eligible to run for the Senate only in the 2013 elections.

Teodoro: Who needs surveys?

BY REGINA BENGCO (Malaya)
Link: http://www.malaya.com.ph/04282010/news14.html


TOLEDO CITY, Cebu. – Administration presidential candidate Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday said he no longer pays attention to surveys among presidential candidates because they do not represent the real sentiment of the people.

Teodoro made the statement after the April 16-19 Social Weather Stations survey showed him still at number four in the presidential race although his score rose to 9 from 6 percent.

To underscore his feelings about surveys, he waved before the crowd gathered at the newly inaugurated Toledo Garden City Hall here, a special white shirt given by Cebu Rep. Pablo John Garcia.

The shirt, in green letters, read: "Hindi ako tinanong sa survey."

Teodoro gave the shirt to his aide for safekeeping.

He told the people of Toledo City that while his rivals make promises and attack each other, he talks of progress and inaugurates infrastructure like their new city hall.

Discipline Gibo first for abandoning post —Nograles

By Charlie V. Manalo (The Daily Tribune)
Link: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100428hed5.html

Insisting that he cannot support someone who wants to become president but cannot even run a political party properly, Speaker Prospero Nograles said the self-appointed officials of Lakas-Kampi-CMD are free to pursue any disciplinary action against him but they should also do the same for presidential candidate Gilbert Teodoro for supporting local candidates who are running against their own party mates.

Teodoro has openly supported Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who in turn endorsed, not Teodoro but the Liberal Party presidential bet, Sen. Noynoy Aquino.

In the Center’s Pulso ng Dabaw latest survey, the Speaker firmed up his lead over his closest rival to 14 percent when some 44 percent or 1,056 respondents out of the 2,400 respondents who were polled said they will vote for Nograles if the elections are held within the period covered by the survey while 30 percent or 720 respondents said they will vote for Sara Duterte.

Nograles said that those who have been suggesting his ouster from the party cannot even speak for and in behalf of the party because they are holding party positions that were given out like candy and they do not carry the mandate of Lakas’ general membership.

Volunteers vow to deliver 2.5 million votes for Gibo in Metro Manila

By Perseus Echeminada (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=570455&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - A community-based volunteer movement yesterday vowed to deliver some 2.5 million votes for administration presidential candidate Gilbert Teodoro in Metro Manila.

The Palit Galing Movement said they have already recruited at least 250,000 residents in Metro Manila that will deliver the “swing vote” for Teodoro and the administration candidates.

“Metro Manila will be the swing vote in the May 10 presidential elections, we will deliver 2.5 million votes to administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro,” declared the group’s leader, Suzette Salazar.

Even without support from the administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Salazar boasted they could deliver the votes for Teodoro from the grassroots.

“We are operating outside the party machinery and we just rely on the corps of volunteers who believe in the leadership qualities of Gibo Teodoro,” Salazar said.

Election 2010 News - April 27, 2010

• 'Poll watcher getting advance pay in GMA district' (The Philippine Star)
• Ballot distribution begins; Coast Guard to deliver poll machines (The Philippine Star)
• Mom's appeal: Give Manny a break (Malaya)
• NP bet admits meeting with Ampatuan Sr.  (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
• Why was Noynoy vs playing of 'Hello Garci' tape? - NP (Business Mirror)
• Lakas members leaving Gibo branded 'pseudo' supporters   (The Manila Times)
• Nograles warns: More Lakas members to quit on Teodoro (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
• Gibo endorses Duterte; rift with Nograles worsens (The Philippine Star)

'Poll watchers getting advance pay in GMA district'

By Ding Cervantes (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=570182&publicationSubCategoryId=63

LUBAO, Pampanga , Philippines - Liberal Party (LP) re-electionist Gov. Eddie Panlilio urged yesterday the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to investigate reports that his gubernatorial rival has been paying advance salaries ranging from P1,500 to P4,000 monthly to people who will act as poll watchers in the second district of Pampanga, where President Arroyo is the official congressional candidate of Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

“I urge the Comelec in Pampanga and Central Luzon to check out reports that my fellow gubernatorial candidate, Mrs. Lilia Pineda, and her campaigners at the Lakas-Kampi-CMD are doing a massive recruitment of poll watchers beyond what is allowed by election laws,” the Pampanga governor said in a statement yesterday.

Panlilio said that a “first batch of poll watchers have been designated as barangay coordinators” and have been required by the Pineda camp to recruit 10 poll watchers each.

“Election laws allow two poll watchers per party in every clustered precinct to work on alternate duty. When the precinct is small, the BEI can ask the poll watchers to leave. Only a representative of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting will be allowed,” he noted.

Ballot distribution begins; Coast Guard to deliver poll machines

By Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=570173&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has started shipping the ballots to be used in the May 10 automated elections to various areas nationwide.

The distribution of ballots to municipal and provincial treasurers’ offices in Mindanao and Luzon started last Saturday, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said yesterday.

Larrazabal said ballots were sent to the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Zambo Sibugay, Bukidnon, Lanao del Sur, Palawan and Masbate.

He said the Comelec opted to distribute the ballots first in Mindanao provinces and other areas, which would take a longer time to reach.

He added that as a general rule, ballots should be delivered directly to the municipal treasurer’s office, but in some instances they are distributed directly to the provincial treasurer’s office because of security concerns.