Only in the Philippines!

P1 million for Palparan's capture!

2012-01-05T14:27:00.001+08:00

The reward for information leading to the arrest of retired Army general Jovito Palparan has been increased to P1 million from the original P500,000, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo announced Thursday.

Palparan, who is wanted for the 2006 abduction and disappearance of two University of the Philippines students, has been in hiding since late last month, when he was barred by immigration agents from leaving the country.

The former general, who former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared among her favorites, was dubbed “The Butcher” by human rights organizations who accuse him of ordering hundreds of extrajudicial murders, enforced disappearances and other human rights violations in the areas he was assigned to as military commander.

Compostela Valley landslide left casualties and injured!

2012-01-05T14:22:00.001+08:00

A landslide that occurred at 3:45AM Thursday left 25 people dead, 15 injured, and 100 more missing in Purok Diat Uno and Diat Dos in Barangay Napnapan, Compostela Valley.

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PAGASA officer-in-charge Graciano Yumul explained what may have caused the landslide.
“Ang nagcause is ang ‘antecedent rainfall’, yung pag-ulan na nangyari bago ang lanslide, maidudugtong niyo na siya sa panahon ng Sendong kasi ang eastern Mindanao, kasama ang Compostela Valley, ay nakatangap ng maraming pag-ulan,” he said. An earthquake that struck Davao Oriental earlier (12:01AM), which is located east of ComVal may have also contributed to the incident.

The Department of Natural Resources had earlier identified the area as landslide-prone and not fit for habitation.

Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) Partial results released!

2010-05-11T12:04:00.000+08:00

PPCRV vote count (As of 9:39 a.m.)

MANILA, Philippines - The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) released the results of its own count of election returns as of 9:39 a.m. The data represents votes from 81.18 percent of 76,300 clustered precincts nationwide.

PRESIDENT
1.	AQUINO, Benigno Simeon III C.	12,587,406
2.	ESTRADA EJERCITO, Joseph M.	8,015,110
3.	VILLAR, Manuel Jr B.	4,477,209
4.	TEODORO, Gilberto Jr. C.	3,339,676
5.	VILLANUEVA, Eduardo C.	944,474
6.	GORDON, Richard J.	438,908
7.	PERLAS, Jesus Nicanor P	43,985
8.	MADRIGAL, Jamby A.	38,252
9.	DE LOs REYES, John Carlos G.	36,159


VICE PRESIDENT
1.	BINAY, Jejomar C.	12,368,208
2.	ROXAS, Manuel A.	11,544,737
3.	LEGARDA, Loren B.	3,383,852
4.	FERNANDO, Bayani F.	867,213
5.	MANZANO, Eduardo B.	621,216
6.	YASAY, Perfecto R.	304,554
7.	SONSA, Jose Y	52,366
8.	CHIPECO, Jesus Nicanor P	42,210

SENATORS
1.	BONG REVILLA, Ramon Jr. B.	16,278,307
2.	ESTRADA, Jinggoy E.	16,000,707
3.	DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO, Miriam P.	14,658,147
4.	DRILON, Franklin M.	13,410,869
5.	ENRILE, Juan Ponce	13,264,611	(%)
6.	CAYETANO, Pilar Juliana S.	11,606,767	(%)
7.	MARCOS, Ferdinand Jr. R.	11,228,188	(%)
8.	RECTO, Ralph G.	10,469,252	(%)
9.	SOTTO, Vicente III C.	10,087,080	(%)
10.	OSMENA, Sergio III D.	9,800,951	(%)
11.	LAPID, Manuel M.	9,178,990	(%)
12.	GUINGONA, Teofisto III D.	8,710,411	(%)

Source

Noynoy Aquino is on the cover of TIME Magazine!

2010-04-17T16:52:00.000+08:00

“An unlikely man of the moment.”

This is how the article in the April 26 issue of Time Magazine describes Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

“The Next Aquino: Can Noynoy save the Philippines?” has topped Time’s Most Read list as of 4 p.m. Friday.

It starts off with a description of Aquino’s campaign in Zamboanga: “While aides and well-wishers murmur around him, Aquino stands and holds out his arms as if awaiting handcuffs. They are lined with scratches and bruises—the toll of ceaseless hours of plunging into throngs of supporters and pressing the flesh. He grins: ‘It’s another demonstration of people power.’”

Time sums up the events that led to Aquino’s presidential bid:

“By his own admission, Aquino would not be running at all had it not been for the massive outpouring of public grief and affection that followed his mother’s (former President Corazon Aquino) death from cancer last August,” Time reports. “He says he now walks the same path first trod by his revered parents. ‘They made automatic in me the preference to take up the cudgels for those who have less in life, for the powerless,’ [Aquino] says. ‘Why should I veer away from their footprints?’”

Humble man

The article also quotes Cebu businessman, Chris Tio, a volunteer for the Aquino campaign as saying: “The senator is a humble man at an extraordinary moment. We’re in a fight for the soul of this nation.”

Says Time: “[Aquino] speaks eagerly and repeatedly about empowering the people by delivering them ‘freedom from hunger.’ His campaign has made curbing corruption its No. 1 goal; translated from Tagalog, its main slogan reads, ‘With No Corruption, There’s No Poverty.’”

The article also touches on Aquino’s family history and describes him as a “product of status quo.”

“Both his parents, Ninoy and Cory, came from pedigreed stock—landed, aristocratic families that have long been part of the ruling establishment,” says Time. “Similarly, Aquino’s vice presidential running mate, Mar Roxas, is the grandson of Manuel Roxas, the country’s first President.”

Closest rival

The article also mentions Aquino’s closest rival Sen. Manny Villar, describing the Nacionalista Party standard-bearer as a “suave, smiling businessman with a rags-to-riches story.”

“Observers say the presidential race has become a contest between Villar’s populism (and deep pockets) and the Aquino family legacy,” Time reports.

“[Aquino] talks with ease and intelligence about his plans to expand the country’s middle class with microcredit programs, to boost industry, universalize health care, fix education and shake up the judiciary,” says Time. “But there are doubts about how savvy an operator he will be when thrown deep into the murky world of Philippine politics.”

The article also quotes Inquirer columnist and former National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Director General Solita “Winnie” Monsod saying that Aquino “doesn’t have his father’s charisma, but he has his mother’s sincerity. Whether that’s enough, I don’t know.”

People remember

“The people remember his parents,” Monsod adds. “For them it’s like going back to Camelot.”

Says Time: “Aquino is more humble about his role, fitting for a person who has lived quietly for much of his life in the shadow of his parents’ legend.”

“We are just instruments put in the right position to execute God’s will, Aquino tells Time. “I crossed my Rubicon in 1983,” he adds, referring to the year his father, the late Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., was assassinated. “I cannot accept that he would die for nothing.”

And judging from the “confetti and shredded paper” billowing from out of the office buildings in Zamboanga, “the wail of sirens and the ceaseless chanting of ‘Noynoy!,’ neither can countless Filipinos.”
Source: Inquirer Research, INQUIRER.net

7 growth areas in RP, according to foreign investors

2010-04-17T16:47:00.000+08:00

Agribusiness, business process outsourcing, creative industries, infrastructure (airports and seaports, road and rail, power and water), manufacturing and logistics, mining, and tourism, medical travel, and retirement will frontline the country’s drive for robust investment, foreign investors said in a forum.

At the briefing on “Seven Big Winners: High Growth Sectors for Investment and Jobs” of the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines, John Casey, president of the Australia-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce, said the joint chambers is committed to creating a “higher standard of life” for Filipinos which would result from higher foreign investments.

The joint chambers’ goal for the next decade is to help the country create 10 million new jobs and to produce $75 billion in foreign direct investments, Casey said.

For his part, Dr. Federico Macaranas of the Asian Institute of Management forecast that 2011 will bear more intense competition for foreign direct investments within Asia, which would continue to experience the largest growth even in the face of limited global investment.

John Forbes, senior adviser for the Investment Climate Improvement Program, said the Philippines should be able to take advantage of this situation. “The Philippines is located in a region currently with the highest economic growth in the world,” and the country may be able to benefit from this by employing strategies used by Asia’s most dynamic economies, he said.

Forbes said these strategies include fully exploiting the world economy, maintaining macroeconomic stability, mustering high rates of saving and investment, as well as having a committed, credible, and capable government.

To help promote foreign investments into the country, AIM’s Macaranas said investors must have an understanding that the Philippine investment environment is chaotic so that they can respond accordingly with appropriate strategies.

Macaranas also called for the implementation of the Philippine Investments Promotion Plan (PIPP), which seeks to double investments from overseas by 2014, as well as more public-private partnerships.

Given that the joint chambers’ recommendations will only create an impact if the next administration considers them, the foreign businessmen’s organization said the next president must be a “true visionary, have the capability to implement, and recognize the importance of foreign investments.”

The next Philippine president must also make “stability of the business environment” a priority, said Julian Payne, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

The joint chambers noted that poor governance, lack of political will, and corruption were the barriers to improved inflow of fresh capital into the country.

Despite being a democracy, the Philippines’ economic situation is “regrettable” for the mismanagement of its resources, the organization said.

The Philippines is perceived to be among the most corrupt, currently ranking 139th in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

The JFCP is composed of the American, Australian- New Zealand, Canadian, European, Japanese, and Korean Chamers of Commerce, as well as the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters.

Source: TJ Besa, INQUIRER.net

Online social networking blamed for rise of AIDS cases in RP !

2010-02-02T14:17:00.000+08:00

MANILA, Philippines - Health officials blamed yesterday online social networking for the rise in the cases of HIV/AIDS in the country last year.

Speaking at the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Hotel media forum, Ferchito Avelino, Philippine National AIDS Council secretariat director, said the “mushrooming” of social networking sites in the past three years could be linked to the rising AIDS cases in the Philippines.

“There has been no study but it has been pinpointed as one of the major factors in the rise of HIV/AIDS cases,” he said.

Dr. Eric Tayag, National Epidemiology Center (NEC) director, said in a previous interview some social networking sites cater to people looking for sex partners.

In December 2009 alone, 126 new AIDS cases were reported, “the highest in the past 25 years,” he added.

Tayag said a total of 835 AIDS cases were reported in the country last year.

The mode of AIDS/HIV transmission, as well as the profile of infected persons, has changed over the past three years from heterosexual intercourse to “men who have sex with men,” he added.

Tayag said most of the AIDS/HIV cases involved young male adults between 25 and 29 years old.

Men who have sex with men are not all homosexuals, he added.

Tayag said HIV/AIDS is not about being gay but about men having unprotected sex with men.

A majority of HIV/AIDS cases are found in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Davao City, he added.

Tayag said other factors that contributed to the high HIV-AIDS cases are the absence of an enabling environment where there is a lack of a social support system; and the lack of access to information about sex when adults are hesitant to discuss it with young adults, who then resort to doing their own research.

HIV/AIDS infection can be prevented through abstinence; delay in sex orientation; faithfulness or monogamy; safe sex; avoiding the use of the same needle in injections, and prenatal screening, he added.

Source: Helen Flores, The Philippine Star

NTC sets SIM-card registration!

2010-01-12T11:55:00.000+08:00

Soon, cell-phone users will be required to register their subscriber identity module (SIM) cards. Otherwise, they won’t be able to make calls or send text messages.

This is what the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is working on just in case House Bills 92 and 1313 fail to become law before the May elections.

“At this point, we are already conceptualizing who will handle the database, the cost and when to implement it. We will try to issue an NTC memorandum circular [MC] but we will need to consider a lot of things, so we need to talk with all the government agencies concerned such as the Neda [National Economic and Development Authority] and NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] on what identification card they will require,” said NTC Deputy Commissioner Douglas Michael Mallilin.

Two House bills are pending with both requiring the registration of SIM cards and handsets, which are aimed at curbing use of cellular phones in scams and other criminal activities.

Mallilin presented two scenarios if lawmakers are unsuccessful in passing the proposed measures—the next Congress would refile the bills or the NTC will issue a circular, which the commission anticipates will rub the telcos the wrong way again, not to say the phone subscribers who would surely see this as another “Big Brother” government move.

Veteran observes said such is the distrust that government has sunk to after several successive administrations have allegedly suckered in the people.

On this privacy issue, Mallilin said it would be best if the telcos or another private entity maintain the database since the assumption of most is that information is best kept at the hands of the private sector rather than government. “A lot of people are concerned with government housing such information. It will not be subjected to too much politics if we let the private sector handle the database.”

“Congress is left with a number of days to work on this otherwise all the bills will just die. If they passed this as a law then there’s no point in coming up with an MC because if the bills are passed then the only thing the NTC will do is to implement it and we will not be met by an injunction. But if the NTC does it by itself then there is a probability that we will be brought back to court for a TRO [temporary restraining order] again,” said Mallilin.

“The contents of the MC will be very general. It’s the rules that are very detailed. The NTC will set out procedures or protocol. At the very least, the point of initiation will be this year,” added Mallilin.

The registration of SIM cards was included in a 2000 circular issued by the NTC but a court had barred the agency from implementing it.  

The NTC official said the mobile-phone networks are already capable of detecting registered versus unregistered SIMs. However, he acknowledged this is not an indication they agree to the proposed measures.

“When we were talking to the telcos, we asked them if their networks are capable of screening and they said yes. Their current systems, especially the intelligent networks, are all capable of doing that. So, if your SIM is not registered, no calls or text messages can be made and their systems are capable of doing that also. However, I would assume that they still have the same position as they had then when they objected to the 2000 circular. On the other hand, they might be willing also because they are aware of the security issues. The NTC can’t forever ask the telcos to block a certain number. This becomes a useless exercise,” he said.   

The telcos are expected to raise concerns on revenue impact if the SIM cards are to be registered. A new subscriber who wants to immediately activate a new but unregistered SIM will not be able to make calls. Hence, the revenue loss on the part of the telcos.

Phone firms have earlier argued that such a move would entail higher costs for the companies, which they said would eventually be passed on to consumers.

Mallilin said whoever houses the database will also shoulder the cost. He stressed, however, the main concerns that need to be immediately address are logistics, ID cards and safeguarding the database. “The concept is easy but at this point in time when you have 70 million subscribers, the logistics behind becomes more difficult. Also, what identification cards will be honored? As such, there is a certain protection that we want to employ in the SIM registration.”  

With millions of active SIMs in the market, the NTC is thinking of a staggered registration for existing subscribers. “Perhaps, one scenario could be is to schedule the registration of the SIMs ending in certain numbers. If you fail to register your SIM during the period within which you are supposed to, then the phone company will automatically not allow you to make calls,” said Mallilin.

A mechanism is also being ironed out for recycled SIMs. A subscriber who acquired a SIM card that had been registered by its previous owner should again register the SIM containing information from the new user.

The NTC said that SIM-card registration is becoming a common approach to curb criminal acts and improve national security in the Asian region.

Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Brunei—all less open than the Philippines—have already implemented a system of registration of SIM cards.

Source: Lenie Lectura, businessmirror.com.ph

Marriage with expiration date, anyone?

2010-01-12T11:52:00.000+08:00

The proposal of a women’s partylist group to prescribe expiration dates on marriage contracts has drawn mixed reactions from lawmakers, with at least one senator saying the proposal is a good starting point for discussing current social issues.

“It’s a reflection of what is happening in our society,” Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said in the vernacular, apparently referring to the growing clamor from women for more rights and social freedoms.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr. for his part said he finds the idea floated by the 1-Ako Babaeng Astig Aasenso (1-ABAA) as funny.

The group’s main advocacy is “to help women become economically empowered by helping them become entrepreneurs, giving them better employment, providing sources of livelihood, access to capital, and other ways to make women financially independent.”

“It’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in my life. Ibig sabihin trial lang ang marriage? (Does it mean marriage is just a trial?),” Pimentel said of the group’s novel proposal.

The issue of a marriage contract with expiration will certainly go against the majority belief that marriage is a sacred union, Pimentel added.

Aside from the Philippines being a predominantly Christian country, Pimentel pointed out that the Philippine Constitution also recognizes the family as the basic unit of society.

“It will go against the Constitutional provision that family is the basic foundation of society. Certainly the proposal will also go against majority beliefs,” Pimentel said.

Even in a country which exercises democracy, women still experience inequality, Cayetano said, although he agreed with Pimentel’s view that the family is the basic unit of society.

Cayetano, in an interview, said he sees the proposal as a good starting point for discussing social issues, but the senator said he doubts whether efforts to introduce such measure in Congress would succeed since many lawmakers are still conservative.

“Kung divorce nga hindi mapag-usapan, iyon pa kaya,” Cayetano said.

The proponents said a 10-year expiration on marriages would give couples the opportunity to review their relationship, and decide whether to continue or not with the union.

Source: HANNAH L. TORREGOZA, mb.com.ph

SWS: 1 of 2 Filipinos unhappy with Arroyo administration!

2010-01-11T16:35:00.000+08:00

One of two Filipinos is dissatisfied with the performance of the Arroyo administration, with public satisfaction hitting a new record low last month, with six months to go before a new government takes over, a new survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

According to the SWS survey, conducted between December 5 and 10 last year, the administration's net satisfaction rating fell to -23 (28 percent satisfied and 51 percent dissatisfied) in December, lower than -20 in the third quarter and worse than the record low of -21 in June 2008.

The new score was within the range described by the SWS as poor — a category the Arroyo government has been in since February last year.

However, the survey also showed the administration got a neutral score of -2 for its response to the massacre of at least 57 people in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao last November 23.

The Ampatuan clan, some of whose members were linked to the massacre, are allies of the administration and had been accused of manipulating elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to favor administration candidates in 2004 and 2007.

Last December, a separate SWS survey showed Mrs. Arroyo getting a failing grade in net satisfaction, which stayed "bad" at -38.

The SWS considers net satisfaction ratings of +50 and above as very good; +30 to +49 as good; +10 to +29 as moderate; +9 to -9 as neutral; -10 to -29 as poor; -30 to -49 as bad; and -50 or lower as very bad.

The last time the present administration received a favorable rating, a moderate +15, was in August 2004. Its best was a moderate +27 just after Mrs. Arroyo took office in 2001.

Rated on 14 issues, the Arroyo administration scored a very good on one — helping victims of disasters (+51).

It got moderate grades on four issues — being prepared for natural calamities (+27), promoting the welfare of Filipino workers abroad (+26), ensuring medicines are affordable (+20), and helping the poor (+17).

The administration got neutral ratings on six issues — fighting terrorism (+4), campaigning against illegal drugs (-3), reconciling with both Muslim and communist rebels (-4 and -5, respectively), and fighting crime and inflation (-9 each).

Except for fighting inflation, all the scores were worse than in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, the administration got a poor rating on three issues — fighting hunger (-15), suppressing politicians with private armies in Mindanao (-17), and eradicating graft and corruption (-27).

Ampatuan massacre

The SWS survey showed three-quarters of Filipinos had closely followed developments in the Maguindanao massacre, including the arrest of members of the Ampatuan clan.

However, this was still less than the 81 percent who kept tabs on the fight between boxing icon Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto a few days earlier.

The quarterly SWS survey was conducted from December 5-10, using face-to-face interviews with 2,100 respondents.

It had sampling error margins of ±2.2% for national percentages, ±6% for Metro Manila and ±4% for the balance of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

Source:LBG/NPA, GMANews.TV

Voters of 2010 Philippines presidential elections exceed 50-M!

2010-01-09T10:06:00.000+08:00

The number of registered voters for the upcoming presidential elections in the Philippines has exceeded 50 million marks, the largest figure recorded in the Philippines' history, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Friday.

"We have more than 50 million registered voters, (or exactly) 50,086,054. This is the largest number so far," said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez.

The figure excludes the 258,691 additional voters who registered in the last working days of last year, Jimenez said.

In the 2007 election, there were only 45,029,443 registered voters.

Jimenez said that the Comelec "expected" the number would go up this year as a result of increasing population in the Philippines.

Jimenez also said that the Comelec expected to finalize the list of voters by next week. And depending on that, he said, it would determine how many clustered precincts there will be.

At present, Jimenez said, the country has 75,471 clustered precincts. Each clustered precinct will have one Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machineeach of which can supposedly accommodate up to 1,000 voters.

Arnis is RP's National Martial Art!

2010-01-09T10:04:00.000+08:00

The declaration and aproval of Republic Act 9850, or "An Act Declaring Arnis as the National Martial Arts and Sports of the Philippines."

It is now official that Arnis, a traditional form of martial art, as the country's national martial arts and sports.

The law states that, starting this year, arnis competitions shall be included in the Palarong Pambansa or the national multi- sport event. The law also requires arnis to be a mandatory course or subject in all schools in the country. Prior to the bill, arnis is only offered in a few schools as an elective physical education subject.

Arnis is a complete martial art system, encompassing weapons training and empty-hand self-defense.

Guidelines on how to vote for 2010 automated polls!

2010-01-05T08:45:00.001+08:00

Just before the year 2009 ended, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) came out with the general instructions (GI) for the country’s very first automated national elections in May 2010.

What will happen on election day?

According to the GI, the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) will meet at the polling place at six o’clock in the morning of May 10, 2010 to first ensure that all the election paraphernalia are ready.

They will then post a copy of the Posted Computerized Voters List (PCVL) at the door of the poll precinct. But before voting is conducted, the BEI chairman will show the public and the watchers present that the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine, package of official ballots, and book of voters are all duly sealed.

After showing the election materials, the BEIs will set up the PCOS machine. Upon installation, the poll machine will automatically print an initialization report showing that no votes have yet been cast nor counted.

What should a voter do?

Upon arriving at the precinct, a voter should look for his or her name at the PCVL near the door of the voting center to determine his or her precinct number and sequence number. The voter will be instructed to give these pieces of information to the BEIs together with other personal information.

After his or her identity is verified, the name of the voter will be read out loud to give chance for any contention. If uncontested, he or she will be given a ballot by the BEI chairman – only upon ensuring that the said voter has yet to cast his or her vote in another precinct.

The voter will be instructed to fill out his or her ballot using a secrecy folder and a marking pen provided by the Comelec. He or she must fill out the ballot by fully shading at least 50 percent of the oval beside the names of the candidates and party-list group of his or her choice.

He or she must then approach the PCOS, insert his or her ballot in the poll machine’s entry slot and wait until the ballot is dropped into the semi-transparent ballot box. If the ballot is rejected, the BEI will allow for another re-entry, but if rejected again, the voter will not be issued a replacement ballot.

After that, the voter is expected to return the secrecy folder and marking pen to the BEI chairman.

The BEI chairman will in turn apply indelible ink at the base and extend it to the cuticle of the right forefinger nail of the voter, who will then be instructed to affix his or her thumbmark in the space in the Election Day Computerized Voters List (EDCVL).

What happens after voting?

The GI says that after the voting, the BEI chairman will record the quantity of unused ballots, which will be torn in half lengthwise. One half will be given to the election officer for safekeeping while the other half will be placed in a compartment of the ballot box.

The BEIs will then close the voting by entering several codes into the poll machine, which will make the PCOS unit print eight copies of the election returns for national positions and another eight for local positions.

The BEI chairman will publicly announce the total number of votes received by each candidate, which will also be posted on a wall within the polling place. After 48 hours, he or she will take the list and keep it in his or her custody.

On the other hand, the PCOS unit will transmit the election reports using a transmission cable and a modem. If successful, the reports will be transmitted to other precincts, the Comelec mainframe, its other offices, and other stakeholders.

After transmission, the poll machine will print 22 more copies of the election returns, a copy of the audit log report, and a copy of the statistical report.

Where do the votes go?

The Comelec said that the eight initial copies of election returns will be sealed, placed in an envelope and sealed again.

The poll body said that the election returns will be distributed to the city or municipal board of canvassers, Congress, Comelec, four accredited citizens’ arm, dominant majority and minority parties, ballot box, 10 accredited national parties aside from the first two, two accredited major local parties, four national broadcast or print media entities, two local media outfits, and one to be posted on a wall within the polling place.

Upon termination of the counting of votes at the precinct level, the BEI shall place inside the ballot box the sealed envelopes containing the election returns, minutes, and half-torn and rejected ballots.

The ballot box will be locked with four locks, one of which is self-locking and is serially numbered. The keys to the three other padlocks, on the other hand, will be placed in separate envelopes that are to be sealed and signed by the BEIs.

Meanwhile, the PCOS will be turned over to the support technician in the voting center.

Earlier, the Comelec said each clustered precinct will have at least three BEIs. It said that they plan to tap about 245,000 teachers to serve as BEIs in next year’s polls.

Poll machine supplier Smartmatic-TIM, on the other hand, said that they will be deploying about 48,000 technical support crew. It said that they will deploy one technician for every two precincts.

The poll body said that there will be about 37,062 voting centers and 74,427 clustered precincts. Each clustered precinct will have one PCOS machine, each of which can supposedly accommodate up to 1,000 voters.

Source: KIMBERLY JANE T. TAN, GMANews.TV

RP labor among Southeast Asia’s most expensive!

2009-12-26T09:35:00.000+08:00

Philippine labor is not among the cheapest in Asia and the Pacific, and is even among the most expensive in Southeast Asia, next only to Singapore, data from the National Wages and Productivity Commission showed.

Data from the policymaking commission, an agency under the Department of Labor and Employment, showed the Philippines placing seventh in a ranking of 13 economies in the region, in terms of having the lowest minimum wage.

Workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) earn a daily minimum wage of P382 or $8.09.

That compares to Vietnam’s $1.26-$1.55 daily minimum wage; Cambodia’s $1.49-$1.66; Indonesia’s $1.95-$3.63; China’s $3.66-4.14; Thailand’s $4.44-$6.09, and Malaysia’s $7.19 -$15.40.

"The minimum wage in the Philippines is not as competitive as the other developing and emerging economies listed in the [NWPC data]. Clearly, the minimum wage of workers in Cambodia, Vietnam, and China are more attractive relative to workers in the NCR and the Philippines," University of Asia and the Pacific economist Cid L. Terosa said in a recent e-mail.

"[But the] wage differences can be traced to the quality of labor in a country. The wage is higher partly because of the quality of labor in the Philippines," he said.

Analysts said that a higher wage floor could be a manifestation that the Philippine labor market is composed of high-caliber workers compared to peers in neighboring countries.

"The competitiveness of the country’s labor market is strong. I believe that we are competitive because of how good we are particularly in electronics and business process outsourcing (BPOs)…Productivity is what we offer," National Competitiveness Council co-chairman Cesar B. Bautista said in a phone interview.

Another indication of the labor market’s competitiveness is the increasing number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), said Francis Chua of Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. "Our competitiveness is evident in the bulk of OFWs working abroad and the increasing amount of money they send home. So this is a good indication that we provide quality labor," Chua said.

However, Chua also noted that wages are set higher in economies where the standard of living is high in order for workers to cover their expenses.

"The same goes if the wage is low — it is because the government subsidizes commodity prices. That’s how tricky wage is," Chua said.

American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines legislative committee chairman John D. Forbes said that a higher wage floor does not equate to labor productivity altogether.

"Filipinos have higher wages because they have a larger number of dependents compared to other Asian countries where they have fewer mouths to feed, where the wife most probably has a job also, and where there is efficient management of agriculture, thus, a lower price of rice," Forbes said in an interview.

"The problem is that market forces do not determine the minimum wage in the Philippines. The government tends to listen to organized trade union, which only represents a portion of the work force. And this should not be the case," he added.

Moreover, Terosa said, apart from considering the family threshold budget "based on the typical basket of goods and services that families or households buy," productivity should also be a yardstick in setting the minimum wage. "Productivity measures should give us an idea of the amount of work given by minimum wage earners," he said.

While a higher minimum wage might seem a disincentive for investors who are in search of locations for their businesses, chamber leaders said that this is not always the case.

Investors are more concerned about the overall cost of doing business.

For instance, if an investor plans to build an English language school, they would not consider China since most of the workers there are English illiterate.

"But the Chinese people have been learning and by the time they become good in this area, Filipinos might also lose the job simply because they provide the same labor, while under a lower minimum wage," Forbes said.

Labor-intensive investors take into account wages, but also the other costs like utilities and transportation, he added.

Chua estimated that labor cost makes up just a small portion of total cost, saying, "Investors in semiconductor, for instance, which is material-intensive, take into account the raw materials that will be used…labor cost for semiconductor…usually takes up only less than 1 percent of total cost."

Source: M. A. C. B. Cabarles, BusinessWorld

Villar cuts Aquino's lead in new SWS poll!

2009-12-22T14:21:00.001+08:00

Without Chiz and Noli, Villar gains 7%, Erap up 4%
MANILA, Philippines - A BusinessWorld-Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Tuesday has come up with similar findings as the Pulse Asia polls which showed Senator Manny Villar and Joseph Estrada gaining significant points in the presidential race, although frontrunner Sen. Benigno Aquino III still has a big lead with 5 months left before the elections.

From a list of 11 presidential candidates in the Businessworld-SWS Pre-Election Survey conducted from December 5 to 10, Aquino was preferred by 46% of 2,100 respondents, Villar was chosen by 27%, and Estrada was picked by 16%.

In the November 4-8 SWS survey with 1,200 voter-respondents, Aquino was chosen by 47%, Villar got 20%, and Estrada got 12%.

Without Senator Francis Escudero and Vice-President Noli de Castro in the December 5-10 survey, Aquino's rating was statistically the same as in the November 4-8 survey, while Villar's went up from 20% to 27%, a gain of 7%.

Estrada's rating went up from 12% in November 4-8 to 16% in the December 5-10 survey of SWS.

Villar was thus able to cut Aquino's lead from 27% in November 4-8 to 19% in December 5-10.

Administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro was picked by 5% of respondents in December from 3% in November.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva and Sen. Richard Gordon each got 1% preference in December.

"Jamby Madrigal (0.2%), Oliver Lozano (0.1%), Mario Crespo (0.1%), John Carlos delos Reyes (0.1%), and Jesus Nicanor Perlas (0.03%) each obtained fractional numbers. Four percent could not give an answer," the SWS said.

BusinessWorld-SWS partnership

The December 5-8 SWS survey was commissioned by BusinessWorld under the "BW-SWS Partnership in 2009-2010 Pre-Election Surveys." BusinessWorld has exclusive right to be the first to print or publicly disclose the survey.

"The exclusion of candidates from the lists used in the survey was the judgment call of BusinessWorld," SWS said in its media release.

In the December 5-8 survey, respondents were asked: “Sa mga sumusunod na pangalan sa listahang ito, sino po ang malamang ninyong iboboto bilang PRESIDENTE ng Pilipinas, kung ang eleksyon ay gaganapin ngayon?” [Among the names found in this list, who will you probably vote for as PRESIDENT of the Philippines, if elections were held today?]."

The SWS said "the respondents were furnished with a BusinessWorld-approved list of 11 candidates to choose from, and gave their answers orally."

The SWS said "all lists were in alphabetical order, and included nicknames, as practiced by the Commission on Elections on election day."

From a list of 8 vice-presidential candidates in the survey, Senator Manuel Roxas was chosen by 43% while Sen. Loren Legarda got 32%, Jejomar Binay was picked b y 3%, and administration bet Edu Manzano and former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando got 2% support each.

"Jose Sonza (0.3%) and Perfecto Yasay (0.1%) each scored fractionally. None of the respondents in the 2009 survey chose Dominador Chipeco, Jr.," the SWS said.

The Businessworld-SWS December 5-10, 2009 survey used face-to-face interviews of 2,100 adults. It had an error margin of ±2.2%. "The national estimate was obtained by using area estimates weighted by National Statistics Office medium-population projections for 2009," the SWS said.

Source: abs-cbnNWES.com

Bernanke is Time's Man of the Year: Pacquiao in list of 'people who mattered'!

2009-12-18T12:55:00.000+08:00

NEW YORK (AP) – US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has been named Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” for 2009.

Bernanke, 56, heads the most important and least understood force shaping the American – and global –economy.

In the same magazine issue, Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao was included in the list of “people who mattered” in 2009, being listed behind US President Barack Obama and ahead of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Those green bills featuring dead Presidents are labeled federal reserve note for a reason: the Fed controls the money supply. It is an independent government agency that conducts monetary policy, which means it sets short-term interest rates — which means it has immense influence over inflation, unemployment, the strength of the dollar and the strength of your wallet, Time said.

And ever since global credit markets began imploding, its mild-mannered chairman has dramatically expanded those powers and reinvented the Fed.

Professor Bernanke of Princeton was a leading scholar of the Great Depression.

The article on Pacquiao, written by Howard Chua-Eoan, said, “Manny Pacquiao was considered a savior by two groups of people this year: Filipinos and boxing aficionados.

For his countrymen, the diminutive (5 ft. 6 in. and change) pugilist once again proved that their archipelago could produce more than tales of violence, poverty and natural disaster — that there was some undefined quality that could produce a fighter of such speed, resiliency and charisma as to be a living legend.

“For boxing fans, Pacquiao defied physics, rising through six weight classes to win seven world titles — and galvanizing the sport like no other boxer in years. His two bouts this year were among the most dramatic in the sport: his second-round knockout of Ricky Hatton and his terrifying demolition of the rock-solid Miguel Cotto over 11 rounds. His visceral charm — or his bloody attraction — will continue into next year with his expected multimillion-dollar, hugely lucrative matchup against Floyd Mayweather Jr., the only fighter remaining who can claim to be his equal.”

Last year’s winner was then President-elect Barrack Obama. The 2007 winner was Russina Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Other previous winners have included Bono, President George W. Bush, and Amazon.com CEO and founder Jeff Bezos.

The Philippine Star

Capitol of country’s second poorest province has Jacuzzi!

2009-12-12T12:08:00.001+08:00

SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao (MindaNews/11 December) -- The Office of the Provincial Governor of the country’s second poorest province on the third floor of this peach and pink palatial building with an “ala CCP” driveway that leads to the second floor, has three living room sets, a conference table for 16, a huge executive desk with a leather swivel for the governor and leather chairs for guests, a toilet exclusively for the governor’s use, a center table for flowers and a door that leads to a room with a bed (and a refrigerator with several bottles of softdrinks), that leads to an alley where you can find to your left, a bathroom with a Jacuzzi whirlpool tub.

Going up to the third floor. Left to the Governor's Offfice. MindaNews photo by Carolyn O. Arguillas

The executive table. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo

Three sofa sets. MindaNews photo by Carolyn O. Arguillas

The conference table for 16. MindaNews photo by Carolyn O. Arguillas

The bedroom adjacent to governor's office. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo

Jacuzzi tub. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo

The alley leads to the dining area for eight (after the bathroom) where china and other silverware are kept inside a cabinet, and where a door leads to the bigger conference room, for 26.

Dining table. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo

Beside the dining room, separated by a wall, one finds the kitchen and fronting it, a space that has become, for the moment, a storeroom for stackable plastic chairs and tables.

Outside the door from the “storeroom,” one finds an escape route: a stairway to the left which leads to a driveway three floors down, on the side where the provincial gym is. If you don’t want to go down that route, there’s another door to the right outside the “storeroom” that leads to another bedroom that opens to the Office of the Provincial Administrator which is also linked to the third and last office on the third floor: the Office of the Provincial Budget.

The Provincial Governor’s Office appears well-preserved. The maroon leather sofa, the sofa behind it upholstered in fabric and the Cheers recliner sofa appear new. The conference appears unused and the beds’ upholstery in the adjacent room and in the room adjacent to the Administrator’s are still wrapped in plastic.

Maguindanao Governor Datu Andal Ampatuan, Sr. is rarely seen in this office, preferring the provincial government’s “satellite office” or “sub-office” within the compound where his mansion is. From his mansion to the provincial capitol is only about 400 meters.

The provincial capitol used to be in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindano, along the Davao-Cotabato highway but citing security reasons and an alleged ambush, Ampatuan Sr., elected governor in 2001 and reelected in 2004 and 2007, opted to have the capitol moved to Shariff Aguak.

The new capitol was opened shortly before the May 2007 elections. Then, the provincial Commission on Elections office was still on the ground floor. Maguindanao provincial administrator Norie Unas was seen more often in the capitol, the governor going there only during special functions or when receiving dignitaries.

But the capitol was inaugurated formally only on March 27 this year when Ampatuan Sr., had resigned as governor and his vice governor son, Sajid, was appointed acting governor (the patriarch resigned, claiming he had no mandate from constituents of Shariff Kabunsuan, the province that the Supreme Court said was created in violation of the Constitution and which should be returned to Maguindanao; another view on the resignation is that doing so would allow the patriarch to run for governor of the reconstituted Maguindanao since he did not complete his third term).

With 22 Maguindanao towns and 11 Shariff Kabunsuan towns, the total number of towns of what earlier this year they referred to as New Maguindanao is 33 plus three other new towns created – for a total of 36.

President Arroyo personally came to inaugurate the P218-M provincial capitol, P25 million o which came from the President’s Social Fund on March 27.

The provincial capitol compound used to be heavily guarded by police and the governor’s armed Civilian Volunteers’ Organizaiton.

In the elections of 2007, some journalists were barred entry into the capitol where the elections office is.

Source:Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews.com

SWS: GMA satisfaction rating slips further to -20!

2009-12-08T09:51:00.000+08:00

MANILA, Philippines - One in two Filipino adults is dissatisfied with the performance of the Arroyo administration, bringing its new net satisfaction rating to -20, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said in its recent survey.

The Third Quarter 2009 Social Weather Survey found 30 percent of adults satisfied and 50 percent are dissatisfied with the overall performance of the national administration, for a “poor” net satisfaction rating of -20.

The non-commissioned survey, conducted from Sept. 18 to 21, used face-to-face interviews of 1,800 adults divided into random samples of 300 each in Metro Manila and Mindanao, and 600 each in balance of Luzon and the Visayas.

SWS said the net satisfaction rating of the present administration has been poor for three consecutive quarters since February 2009, when it was at -19.

The latest net satisfaction rating of the administration is nine points lower than the -11 in June 2009, the SWS said.

The net satisfaction rating is the difference between the percentage of satisfied and unsatisfied responses.

SWS defined net satisfaction ratings as follows: +50 and above, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”; +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 or lower, “very bad.”

Meanwhile, the survey firm also asked the respondents to rate the performance of the Arroyo administration on specific issues.

“Of the 14 issues tested in the survey, the public rated the National Administration as good on one issue, moderate on five issues, neutral on five issues, and poor on three issues,” the SWS said.

The national administration scored a “good” net satisfaction rating of +31 on the issue of protecting the public from the outbreak of diseases.

It received moderate ratings on the issues of ensuring that all food products in the market are safe (+29), promoting the welfare of OFWs (+19), ensuring that medicine is affordable (+18), foreign relations (+12), and helping the poor (+10).

It scored neutral ratings on fighting terrorism (+5), reconciliation with Muslim rebels (+3), reconciliation with communist rebels (+3), campaigning against illegal drugs (+3), and fighting crime (-8).

It scored poor ratings on fighting inflation (-19), ensuring no family will ever be hungry and have nothing to eat (-20), and eradicating graft and corruption (-28).

The latest poll showed that public satisfaction improved on three issues.

“Compared to when last surveyed by SWS, the net satisfaction ratings of the National Administration were better on three out of 14 issues,” it said.

It switched from negative neutral to positive neutral for reconciliation with communist rebels, up by nine points from -6 in March 2005 to +3 in September 2009.

It became more positive for ensuring that all food products in the market are safe, up by five points from moderate +24 in February 2009 to +29, and for ensuring that medicine is affordable, up by four points from moderate +14 in June 2009 to +18.

Sampling error margins of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points for national percentages, plus or minus six percentage points for Metro Manila and Mindanao, and plus or minus four percentage points for balance Luzon and the Visayas were applied in the survey.

Malacañang: GMA’s accomplishments unappreciated

Meanwhile, Malacañang believes that the achievements of President Arroyo remain unappreciated and takes the recent SWS survey as a challenge for all the appointees of the President to work even harder to make the people realize what she is doing for the country.

Reacting to the survey showing that 50 percent of Filipinos are dissatisfied with the performance of the Arroyo administration in general, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde attempted to fall on his sword and take some of the blame for failing to convey to the people the efforts being taken by Mrs. Arroyo to improve their lives.

“We consider that as a challenge to work harder and for my part as press secretary, that is a challenge for me to help people realize all the good things that President Arroyo is doing for them,” Remonde said. – With Marvin Sy

By Helen Flores
The Philippine Star

Puno: ARMM still exercising autonomy!

2009-12-08T09:49:00.000+08:00

MANILA, Philippines - Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno assured the people that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) continues to enjoy its autonomy despite the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao.

Puno said ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan, who was arrested along with eight other relatives for rebellion, was replaced by his lawful successor ARMM Vice Gov. Ansaruddin Adiong.

“To date the regional governor continues to take charge of the entire autonomous region. Whatever supervision is exercised over autonomous region has to be exercised through the regional governor,” Puno said during a forum.

Puno clarified that President Arroyo merely transferred to the DILG the supervision in the region.

“So although there is supervision, this was merely transferred from Office of the President to DILG and the supervision does not impair autonomy of the region, the region continues to be autonomous… what we need to do now is to examine the responsibilities of the regional governor over the exercise of his duties,” he pointed out.

Mrs. Arroyo declared martial law in Maguindanao to restore peace and order, which has been affected after the gruesome murder of 57 persons, including over 30 journalists and relatives of a political rival of the Ampatuan clan.

Among the dead were the wife of Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu of Buluan, Maguindanao and two of his sisters, two female lawyers and 30 media men who covered the supposed filing of certificate of candidacy of the vice mayor who is running for governor of Maguindanao to challenge a scion of the Ampatuan clan.

The Mangudadatus have blamed the Ampatuans for the incident, specifically pointing to Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. of Datu Unsay, Maguindanao as the leader of 100 armed men who abducted Mangudadatu’s supporters.

The Ampatuan family has denied any involvement in the killings.

Andal Jr., who turned himself in last month, is the only one charged with multiple counts of murder.

Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said prosecutors would file rebellion charges against the other Ampatuans who were arrested over the weekend for allegedly organizing armed resistance.

Government troops arrested ARMM Gov. Ampatuan, his father and clan patriarch former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., several relatives and more than 50 supporters after President Arroyo declared martial law in the province last Saturday.

Defense and military authorities raised yesterday the Philippine flag at the Maguindanao provincial capitol in Shariff Aguak town in an apparent display of government control.

Maj. Gen. Anthony Alcantara, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, Armed Forces vice chief Lt. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang, Eastern Mindanao Command chief and military administrator in Maguindanao Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, and local Army battalion commanders led the regular Monday flag raising ceremony at the provincial capitol.

Alcantara said civilian employees of the provincial government joined the ceremony.

The situation in the province has prevented some employees from reporting for work.

“We would like to assure the employees that social services should not be hampered by this situation,” AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said in a separate interview.

He said one of the objectives of imposing martial law is to restore normalcy in the area and the flag ceremony has signified that the government is in full control of the situation.

“It also shows that the people have pledged their allegiance to the flag,” he said.

Brawner said one of the conditions for imposing martial law is the loss of the people’s allegiance to the flag and the duly constituted authorities.

Army and police operatives padlocked yesterday the Office of the Regional Governor (ORG) of the ARMM inside the 32-hectare ARMM compound in Cotabato City.

Employees of the ORG, dubbed as the ARMM’s little Malacañang, were surprised when the armed troops used chains to close the front door of the 4,000-square-meter two-storey building.

Policemen also placed a written notice at the entrance of the building entrance that included a directive from the Philippine National Police ordering the closure of the ORG, the provincial capitol in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, and the municipal centers of Shariff Aguak and Ampatuan towns.

“We were surprised to see the doors of the ORG closed. Of course we don’t question this action by the PNP because we are aware of the situation the ARMM regional government is in,” said a Muslim government employee. – With James Mananghaya, John Unson, Helen Flores

By Cecile Suerte Felipe
The Philippine Star

Arroyo proclaims martial law in Maguindanao!

2009-12-05T12:03:00.000+08:00

MANILA - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo officially declared martial law in the province of Maguindanao on Saturday morning.

In a press conference past 7 a.m, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced Proclamation No. 1959 declaring a state of martial law and suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the province of Maguindanao, except for certain areas identified as bailiwicks of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) separatists.

The declaration of martial law will lead to the arrests without warrants of other members of the Ampatuan family who have been linked to the November 23 massacre of 57 innocent civilians.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Victor Ibrado announced that joint police and military teams have taken into custody Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. and his son, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan.

Ibrado said Ampatuan Sr. was brought to a hospital in Davao City, while the ARMM governor was brought to General Santos City.

As of posting, Maguindanao Vice Governor Akmad Ampatuan Sr. and Shariff Aguak Anwar Ampatuan have also been taken into custody.

There are now five Ampatuans under government custody, including Datu Unsay town Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., who has been charged with 25 counts of murder for the massacre.

The carnage, where 57 innocent civilians were killed, drew both local and international condemnation. It was allegedly led by Ampatuan Jr., who is detained at the National Bureau of Investigation.

Abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak reported early Friday evening that President Arroyo had ordered a state of martial law in Maguindanao, which would take effect on Saturday.

Reasons for ML declaration

Ermita said President Arroyo decided to declare martial law because "heavily armed groups in the province of Maguindanao have established positions to resist government troops, thereby depriving the executive of its powers and prerogatives to enforce the laws of the land and to maintain public order and safety."

The declaration added that despite the state of emergency declared last November 24, peace and order in the province continued to deteriorate "to the extent that local judicial system and other government mechanisms are not functioning."

Ermita said President Arroyo officially signed the proclamation around 9 p.m. Friday based on the recommendation of Ibrado and Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa.

Imminent threat

Ibrado said that even before the discovery of a huge arms cache near the ARMM governor's residence in Shariff Aguak last Thursday, he and Verzosa had been receiving field reports about the massing of private armed groups all over Maguindanao.

He said they received reports that the armed groups will "undertake hostile action" in case the Ampatuans and other local government officials allegedly involved in the massacre will be arrested.

"We felt that this is a very imminent threat and so we recommended for this proclamation," Ibrado said, adding that each group sighted numbered from 40 to 400.

Verzosa, for his part, said that they also recommended the suspension of the privilege of writ of habeas corpus to speed up the police investigations into the massacre.

He said police were having a hard time securing search and arrest warrants against the suspects in the massacre, particularly members of the Ampatuan clan, because court judges are too afraid to act on their requests.

Ermita said the massing of forces and the recovery of the huge arms cache near the Ampatuan mansion in Shariff Aguak are indications of a pending rebellion and further lawless violence in the province.

Verzosa said the sizes of the private armed groups give them the capability to carry out more killings as gruesome as the Maguindanao massacre.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said that Mrs. Arroyo's martial law proclamation is an "answer to the cry for justice of the victims of the horrendous massacre."

Lifting martial law

Ermita said the proclamation, which is allowed by law to take effect for 60 days, will be lifted only after the situation in Maguindanao has normalized.

He said the recommendation for the lifting of the proclamation should come from Verzosa and Ibrado.

"We'll have to get the report from the field from the AFP and PNP that the conditions that prompted the President to issue the proclamation, have improved, and therefore, the threat of further lawlessness and probability of rebellion is already down," he said.

Remonde said Mrs. Arroyo will immediately lift the proclamation once the police has confirmed that its investigation can push through "unimpeded and unfettered."

Remonde said Mrs. Arroyo will not appoint a military official as caretaker of the Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Maguindanao province.

Ermita said the ARMM governor and Ampatuan Sr. will be succeeded by their deputies if there is a need to further hold the two officials under custody.

Nograles backs martial law

House Speaker Prospero Nograles is in favor of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's declaration of martial law in Maguindanao.

In an interview over dzMM on Saturday, Nograles said that "as a Mindanaoan, my personal opinion is, for a limited period of 60 days, I will support it so that the prosecution arm of the government can move freely and get the witnesses and gather evidence without fear."

"For 60 days, 2 months, para lang matapos yung evidence gathering, okay naman sa akin," Nograles, who will be running for Davao City mayor in next year's polls, said.

He noted that the government was having difficulty applying the rule of law with respect to the suspects in the killings of 57 innocent civilians in the November 23 Maguindanao massacre since many witnesses and even judges are afraid.

Nograles also said that there was already a de facto martial law in Maguindanao since the military "has been all over the place" after they took over the provincial capitol of Maguindanao last week.

"So, this declaration of martial law there today, Proclamation 1959, is only an official declaration of what is a de facto situation there," he said.

Nograles also said there is no need for Congress to convene in joint session if it does not intend to revoke Proclamation 1959.

Under the 1987 Constitution, he said Congress can revoke the martial law declaration by a majority vote of both Houses in joint session.

"If they feel it's not necessary, they will let it go on in 60 days," Nograles said.

Congress will wait for report

However, he said President Arroyo must submit a report to Congress on her declaration and on the situation in Maguindanao within 48 hours.

Congress will then assess her report and decide whether to revoke the declaration.

"If we will, we will immediately hold a joint session in order to revoke it, but I don't think we need to hold a joint session in the event we won't revoke it. There is no need to affirm it," he said.

After accepting Arroyo's report, Nograles said Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile will call for a caucus of senators while he will call for a caucus of the members of the House of Representatives.

The legislators will then decide whether they plan to revoke Proclamation 1959.

When Congress is in joint session to take up martial law, Nograles said the "ball is in the court of the House" since they can outvote the Senate.

Most congressmen support?

There are 268 congressmen and only 23 senators.

"So the player here is the House more than the Senate because we outnumber them," Nograles added.

In a text message sent to reporters on Saturday, Nograles said "majority of [House] members think that the decision by the president is correct."

"Fact is, that many say it should have been done sooner," he added.

Nograles said he intends to call a caucus on Monday before putting the issue on the House agenda.

He said anyone can also stand up to support or attack the martial law declaration during the privilege hour held every Monday.

"Personally, I think that in this case both Houses of Congress do not indicate any majority numbers with any intention to revoke the proclamation, which is only good for sixty days," he said.

Human rights concern

Meanwhile, a human rights lawyer, and a congressman representing Maguindanao, on Saturday criticized President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for setting a bad precedent by declaring martial law in Maguindanao despite the absence of rebellion or invasion in the province.

Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) lawyer Manuel Diokno told ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) that the 1987 Constitution allows for the declaration of martial law if there is rebellion or invasion.

In this case, he said martial law was declared on the basis of the mass murders that happened November 23. He warned this would set a bad precedent for the country.

Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen, interviewed on ANC on Saturday, expressed the same view.

Dilangalen said the government can only declare martial law if there is rebellion or invasion.

"The basis for the declaration does not exist," he said.

Dilangalen said it was ironic that martial law does not apply in areas of the MILF where rebellion exists.

He insisted that there is no rebellion in Maguindanao, adding that the suspects in the November 23 massacre are actually allies of the government.

Members of the Ampatuan family linked to the murders were allies of President Arroyo prior to the massacre. They were expelled from the ruling party after the carnage.

"Is there shooting going on? No. Has there been bombings after the massacre? No," Dilangalen said.

On armed groups allegedly converging to opposed the arrest of the other Ampatuans linked to the murders, Dilangalen said the government can just direct the police to address this problem.

Dilangalen warned that there was a “grand scenario” behind the martial law declaration. He did not elaborate.

He said that if the president can do it in Maguindanao, she can also declare martial law in other provinces using bases not allowed by the Constitution.

Martial law under 1987 Charter

Under the 1987 Constitution, the declaration of martial law will suspend the writ of habeas corpus, which means some citizens may be arrested without warrants.

Section 18 of the Charter states: "The President shall be the Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Philippines and whenever it becomes necessary, he may call out such armed forces to prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion or rebellion. In case of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it, he may, for a period not exceeding sixty days, suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus or place the Philippines or any part thereof under martial law."

However, the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus only applies to persons charged for "rebellion" or offenses connected with an invasion.

"The suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall apply only to persons judicially charged for rebellion or offenses inherent in, or directly connected with, invasion," the Constitution also says.

It also adds: "During the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, any person thus arrested or detained shall be judicially charged within three days, otherwise he shall be released."

Source: abs-cbnNEWS.com

Arroyo files candidacy for Congress!

2009-12-01T12:16:00.000+08:00

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 2) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo filed her certificate of candidacy for the congressional seat in Pampanga’s 2nd district on Tuesday, according to television reports.

Arroyo, clad in an aquamarine pants and blouse, arrived at the Commission on Elections office in Pampanga province past 10 a.m.Footage showed her with husband, First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, at the Comelec office.

Arroyo was all smiles as she greeted Comelec officials at Pampanga. She first attended mass at the St. Augustine Parish Church.

By Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net

'RP showing culture of impunity'!

2009-11-27T15:44:00.000+08:00

MANILA, Philippines - The Washington-based nongovernment organization Freedom House expressed shock over the killings of civilians and journalists in Maguindanao last Monday, which showed a prevailing climate of impunity in the Philippines and the government’s inability to protect the freedom of expression.

Freedom House, which has been monitoring political rights and civil liberties in the Philippines since 1972, strongly condemned the killings, saying it added to the worst violence in recent history where 57 people, including 13 journalists, were killed and buried in shallow graves in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao.

The victims included the wife of Vice Mayor Ismael “Toto” Mangudadatu of Buluan, Maguindanao and two of his sisters, two female lawyers and 13 journalists who covered the supposed filing of certificate of candidacy of the vice mayor, who will run for governor of Maguindanao and challenge a scion of the Ampatuan clan in the May 2010 elections.

“These killings are of the most shocking and brutal nature and must be addressed immediately and thoroughly by the government,” said Jennifer Windsor, Freedom House’s executive director.

She said the country is becoming known for a culture of impunity and the government has a responsibility to demonstrate a commitment to reversing this trend.

Freedom House noted that in the past several years, there were significant declines in freedom of expression and political rights attributed to electoral fraud, corruption, and government intimidation of the political opposition.

The organization said the government, which has close ties with the Ampatuan family, has imposed a state of emergency in two provinces and has promised to investigate the killings.

“The foundations of a strong and healthy democracy are under grave threat,” Windsor said.

Australian Ambassador Rod Smith expressed concern that the increasing lawlessness in Mindanao would slow down the Australian government’s development cooperation activities and prevent the benefits of programs from reaching the people in the Southern Philippines.

“Australia is a committed development cooperation partner of the Philippines. We are deeply concerned, however, that signs of increasing lawlessness in parts of Mindanao will inhibit our development cooperation activities and prevent the benefits of these programs reaching those who need them most,” said Smith in a statement.

Australia condemned the senseless and brutal killing of civilians and journalists in Maguindanao on Monday.

Foreign lawyers condemn Maguindanao massacre

The Lawyers Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) and the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) condemned yesterday the execution of two human rights lawyers, journalists and civilians in Maguindanao, saying it has left members of the human rights community around the world in shock.

Human rights lawyers Concepcion Brizuela and Cynthia Oquendo were among the 57 people killed in the massacre in Maguindanao on Monday.

The LRWC is a committee of Canadian lawyers who promote human rights and the rule of law internationally by engaging in education and research and providing support to lawyers and other human rights advocates, while the ALRC is a Hong Kong-based nongovernment organization.

They called for the creation of an international body to conduct a thorough investigation of the Maguindanao massacre.

Reporters without Borders said at least 22 journalists were killed in the attack, the largest killing of journalists in a single day.

The groups pointed that since 2001, over 800 people have been killed in the country, all of them in some way seen as opponents or critics of the government. Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur for extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, made a number of recommendations in 2007 to prevent extrajudicial killings.

Sen. Loren Legarda has called on the United Nations Office for Human Rights to step in and pressure the government to give justice to the victims of the Maguindanao massacre.

“As a United Nations office mandated to promote and protect human rights, may I request you to take this matter up with your constituency of nations in order to put pressure and to seriously hold the government of the Republic of the Philippines accountable for immediate justice to the victims of the massacre,” Legarda said in a one-page letter sent to the UN agency. – With Christina Mendez

By Pia Lee-Brago
The Philippine Star

Maguindanao Massacre suspect surrenders!

2009-11-27T15:42:00.000+08:00

AMPATUAN, Philippines (AP) – A scion of a powerful clan suspected in the massacre of 57 people in an election caravan in the southern Philippines turned himself in Wednesday amid mounting pressure on the government to crack down on lawlessness and warlords.

The dead from Monday's massacre include the wife, family and dozens of journalists and supporters of a gubernatorial candidate who wanted to challenge the rival Ampatuan clan, which has ruled Maguindanao province unopposed for years.

Andal Ampatuan Jr., a town mayor who allegedly stopped the convoy with dozens of police and pro-government militiamen, surrendered to presidential adviser Jesus Dureza in the provincial capital of Shariff Aguak, said military commander Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer.

He boarded a military helicopter to a nearby city, from where he will be flown to the capital, Manila, for investigation, Ferrer said.

"The family voluntarily surrendered him and they agreed that he will be investigated," he said.

Ampatuan's family denied the allegations of his involvement in the slayings.

The military deployed tanks and truckloads of troops throughout the province under a state of emergency to hunt down the attackers and prevent retaliatory violence from the victims' clan.

Police and soldiers on Wednesday found 11 more bodies at the site of the attack, bringing the death toll to 57. Six of the bodies were discovered in a large pit buried alongside three vehicles, and five were found in a mass grave a few miles (kilometers) off the main highway.

The vehicles — a sedan and two vans — were crushed by a large backhoe that ran over and buried them, investigator Jose Garcia said.

Ampatuan's surrender followed days of negotiations between his family and Dureza, apparently in a bid to prevent hostilities between the clan's followers and government forces.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said he had warned the Ampatuan family they risked a military attack unless they turned over Ampatuan Jr. by midday Thursday.

Ferrer said the area around the provincial capital was tense after troops disarmed about 350 pro-government militiamen loyal to the Ampatuans. The militia is meant to act as an auxiliary force to the military and police in fighting rebels and criminals but often serve as a politician's private army.

The clan, which has ruled the province since 2001, helped President Arroyo and her allies win the 2004 presidential and 2007 senatorial elections by delivering crucial votes.

Mrs. Arroyo came under intense pressure at home and abroad to seek justice for the victims of the massacre, with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and media and human rights watchdogs voicing their concern over the scale of the killings.

The vice Mayor of Buluan township, Ismael Mangudadatu, after receiving death threats, sent his wife and relatives to submit his candidacy Monday when the convoy, including at least 18 journalists, was ambushed.

Mangudadatu said four people whom he refused to identify told him Ampatuan Jr. was seen with the gunmen.

Five police officers, including one provincial police chief, were relieved of duty and will be brought to Manila to face the investigation together with Ampatuan Jr., Ferrer said.

Mrs. Arroyo vowed justice for the victims and declared a national day of mourning.

"This is a supreme act of inhumanity that is a blight on our nation," she said in a statement. "The perpetrators will not escape justice. The law will haunt them until they are caught."

Few think she will be able to restore the rule of law in the impoverished region that has been outside the central government's reach for generations, and where warlords backed by private armies go by their own rules. Maguindanao's acting governor is Sajid Ampatuan, another son of former Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the clan's patriarch.

Human Rights Watch expressed concern that the administration's relationship with the family would hinder an impartial investigation. Arroyo's ruling party, in an emergency meeting late Wednesday, expelled Ampatuan Sr. and his two sons.

Among the 18 dead journalists — the highest number of reporters killed in a single attack anywhere in the world — was Alejandro "Bong" Reblando, 53, a former Associated Press stringer. He was the most senior in the group of reporters. Reblando, who was based in General Santos City, was a staffer for the Manila Bulletin daily newspaper.

He covered the southern Philippines for The AP from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, reporting on the Muslim separatist insurgency as well as local politics.

He is survived by his wife and seven children.

The Philippine Star

Maguindanao Under Stae of Emergency due to the bizarre massacre!

2009-11-27T08:55:00.000+08:00

Maguindanao , Sultan Kudarat provinces, and Cotabato City, were placed under a state of emergency. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued the order on Tuesday, November 24, 2009.

A gruesome massacre on the wife of Maguindanao Vice Mayor Datu Ismail “Toto” Mangudadatu and her convoy happened on Monday, November 23, 2009. At least 57 people, including 12 journalists, in the area were found dead.

They were attacked by about 100 men on their way to Shariff Aguak town to file the certificate of candidacy (COC) of Toto, who intends to run for governor in the province.

The Mangudadatus blamed the killings on their political rival, the Ampatuan political clan.

Thee presence of many journalist who wanted to have a scoop of the major news as the Ampatuan family has not been challenged politically in the province.

The provincial capital Shariff Aguak is known to be Ampatuan territory. Toto sent his female relatives to file for COC together with journalists. Toto believed that they will not hurt women because of their Islamic tradition. But, they were dead wrong.

ABS-CBN and GMA7 statements on Maguindanao Massacre

2009-11-27T06:27:00.000+08:00

Here is the official statement of ABS-CBN regarding the Maguindanao massacre:

“Three days have passed since more than 50 people, including journalists, were brutally murdered in Maguindanao, and we have yet to see government take decisive action.

“This unprecedented scale of violence erodes our faith in the rule of law. It sends a chill through journalists who continue to shine the spotlight on these killing fields.

“We at ABS-CBN urge the authorities to hold the guilty parties accountable and show that justice is blind to politics.”

Here is the official statement of GMA 7 regarding the Maguindanao massacre:

“We are no longer who we were before Monday. Even in the annals of political violence in the Philippines, there have been no parallels to the slaughter that occurred on the lonely road to Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao on November 23.

“52 unarmed civilians all, the majority of whom were media professionals, the victims were en route to perform basic functions in a civilized democracy: the Mangudadatu women were to file certificates of candidacy; the lawyers were to provide legal advice; and the journalists were to bear witness on behalf of the public and to report on an important event without fear or favor.

“All of these roles are essential for a political system where power is meant to be transferred without violence.

“What met them in a town recently renamed Ampatuan was the exact opposite: a force and mentality that invoked the barbarity of more primitive times.

“The crime that occurred in Ampatuan was uniquely savage, but it was also an extreme example of the violent tendency in our politics. At the other extreme are the many citizens who are bravely committed to the difficult and complex process of peacefully deciding who our leaders should be, such as those souls who perished on Monday.

“It is this tension between savagery and peaceful process that has marked our electoral history. Those are the most critical choices in 2010.

“Much will depend on how the government reacts in the coming days. For what is emerging is evidence that the assailants were not outside the law but part of the political machinery of local officials backed by the Arroyo administration.

“The President so far has ordered a thorough investigation and declared a state of emergency in Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and Cotabato City. Philippine National Police Director General Jesus Verzosa has relieved four PNP officials in Maguindanao.

“We trust that this is just the beginning of a series of actions that will bring all of the perpetrators to justice, including the warlords who orchestrated this bloodbath.

“If they are permitted to escape harsh punishment, it will clearly be a vote for barbarity and for the other savage armies prepared to assault our maiden automated elections.

“As we wait for action, we grieve. We grieve for the believers in a democratic system who paid with their lives. We grieve for the martyred journalists who believed the Constitutional protection of their rights was enough.

“By travelling without arms to perform their democratic duties in hostile territory, the 52 made their choice. We honor their example and sacrifice, as their fate continues to chill our bones. As fellow believers, we could have easily been them.”

Efren Peñaflorida CNN Hero of the Year is back in the Philippines!

2009-11-27T06:25:00.000+08:00

He was welcomed as Hero in his country!