The ProPinoy Project » Edgardo Angara

Enrile is Senate President again

propi — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:06:56 +0000

Enrile is Senate President again
By Christine O. Avendaño
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — A survivor of many political wars is keeping his grip on the Senate presidency, after all.

Earlier thought to be on his way out, reelected Senator Juan Ponce Enrile clinched the Senate leadership Sunday night by obtaining the support of 21 senators — a powerful majority in the 23-member upper chamber of Congress.

Senators said the 86-year-old lawmaker from Cagayan was assured of his continued hold on his position following a series of meetings and sudden developments during the weekend.

The most dramatic was Sunday’s last-minute announcement by Senator Francis Pangilinan, the erstwhile candidate of Malacañang, that he was withdrawing from the Senate presidential race in order to unify the chamber.

“It’s a truly united Senate,” Senator Edgardo Angara told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, saying that all blocs in the chamber have come together to support Enrile as their chief.

It was the second time in the Senate’s recent history that all parties and blocs have backed a common leader, Angara said.

Curiously, both cases involved Enrile and both happened while an Aquino was at the country’s helm — the first during the presidency of the late Corazon Aquino and now, during the rule of her son, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

“In the first Aquino administration, it was Senator Enrile who was the lone minority member in the Senate. Now under the second Aquino administration, he is the head of the unity Senate,” Angara said.

“He [Enrile] has come full circle,” he added.

In a phone interview, Angara credited the sudden turn of events to efforts of the Liberal Party (LP), Nacionalista Party (NP) of Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., and other blocs — including Angara’s — to come together and agree on a Senate President by the time the 15th Congress opens this Monday.

Since late last week, Pangilinan had been the frontrunner in the fight for the Senate leadership.

Enrile of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino only loomed as an alternative candidate after the NP and LP candidates failed to get the 13 votes needed to win the Senate presidency.

“Since neither side [Villar and Pangilinan] were able to make it, we agreed with Villar and the others that we need to elect one because it would be embarrassing for the Senate if we can’t rule even ourselves,” Angara said.

All different blocs “contributed” to the unity of the Senate, according to Angara.

He said Enrile was “the best option” because neither Pangilinan nor Villar was able to secure the 13 votes.

Angara said Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada would remain as Senate President pro tempore, while Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto would be the majority leader.

But with a unified Senate behind Enrile, Angara conceded that the question of who would be the minority leader was up in the air.

“We don’t know yet who would want to stand on the opposite aisle,” he said.

The Senate has 23 members with Aquino’s rise to the presidency. Only 21 of them can vote in Monday’s Senate presidency election.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV remains detained while Senator Panfilo Lacson has yet to surface after he left the country six months ago while facing charges for the double murder of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and Dacer’s driver.

Estrada, like Enrile, committed to support Pangilinan but Estrada made it clear to the LP senator that he would only support him if Enrile did not make a bid for the Senate leadership.

Pangilinan lost support for his bid after party and administration allies late last week confronted him on whether he could secure the necessary numbers and later pushed Enrile to go for the presidency himself.

Enrile had said he would do so if the senators would be able to get him the numbers.

In a statement on Sunday, Pangilinan said he gave up his bid for the top Senate post because he “realized there are political realities and developments that prevent us from securing the needed 13 votes resulting in a deadlock or stalemate.”

“Much as I would like to go down fighting, I realize that to continue with my bid would keep the Senate fragmented and disunited. The disunity must now end. I believe I can help make it happen by voluntarily stepping aside,” he said.

“It has been a very difficult experience for me and my family, but if I had to do this all over again for the cause of genuine change and reforms for our nation, I would. I would like to thank our people for their prayers and support. We fought a good fight,” Pangilinan said.

Senators were meeting on Sunday to deal with the committee chairmanships. There are 27 chairmanships up for grabs.

Drilon and Estrada said they did not think Enrile’s leadership in the Senate would be a problem for President Aquino.

Drilon said that Enrile from the very start had supported Pangilinan’s bid until the latter was unable to get the needed votes.

Likewise, he said Enrile would support the administration’s legislative agenda because not only was the Senate “an institution which will respond to the needs of the country” but one was inclined to support a “popular” President such as Mr. Aquino.

Estrada agreed that Enrile would not be a problem for Mr. Aquino since the two men were very much in good terms in the Senate before.

Malacañang said on Sunday it still expected to deal with a Senate “friendly” to President Aquino despite the withdrawal of Pangilinan from the Senate presidential fight.

“We look forward to working and cooperating with a friendly Senate,” the President’s spokesperson, Edwin Lacierda, said. “It’s important that we have a friendly Senate [for] our legislative agenda.”

Lacierda said that in hoping for a friendly Senate, Malacañang was not fearing that the senators might scrutinize the Aquino administration for possible corruption.

“The Aquino administration has promised not to engage in any corrupt practices that’s why we are not afraid of that,” he said. “What we are more concerned of really is the legislative agenda the President has in mind, which will require cooperation from the Senate.”

Palace won't meddle in Senate affairs

Karen Ang — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:19:20 +0000

Palace won’t meddle in Senate affairs
By Paolo Romero and Christina Mendez
The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang announced yesterday that the administration will not meddle in the affairs of the Senate and it is up to the senators to decide if they would elect a new Senate president.

Deputy presidential spokesman and Press Undersecretary Rogelio Peyuan referred to the proposal of re-electionist Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago to elect a new Senate president as a guaranty in the event no president would be proclaimed due to a failure of elections on May 10.

“It’s up to them (senators) to do what they think needs to be done to put in safeguards and security measures,” Peyuan told a news briefing. “This is a matter for them to decide.”

He said President Arroyo has not yet received a formal request from the Senate to call for a special session to allow the senators to elect a new president.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile whose term will expire in June, challenged other senators to bring in the numbers if they want him to be replaced.

Enrile made the challenge following persistent reports that some senators want to replace the Senate leadership as a contingency in case of a failure of elections.

“How? How can they do that? I’m ready to step down if they have the number anytime but how can they do that. If they can ask the President to call a special session between now and Friday, oh? We cannot have sessions on Saturdays and Sundays,” Enrile said.

Among the senators, Senators Santiago, Edgardo Angara, Francis Escudero, and Alan Peter Cayetano have been vocal over the need to replace Enrile with a senator whose term ends in 2013.

Jail warden sacked, or was he promoted?

Karen Ang — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 13:01:18 +0000

Jail warden sacked, or was he promoted?
By Jocelyn R. Uy, Miko Morelos
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Was he punished or promoted?

The jail officer who allowed Andal Ampatuan Jr., the prime suspect in the November 2009 massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao, to hold a press conference in a high-risk prison on Tuesday appears to have been kicked upstairs.

In an order dated Thursday, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno directed Senior Insp. Lloyd Gonzaga to relinquish his duties as deputy warden of the Quezon City Jail-Annex in Taguig City and carry on as chief of operations of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in the National Capital Region (BJMP-NCR) effective immediately.

Puno assigned Supt. Clement Laboy to replace Gonzaga “in addition to his duties as regional chief of staff of BJMP-NCR and concurrent deputy warden of the Quezon City Jail.”

“The order takes effect immediately,” read the document, a copy of which was given to reporters at Camp Crame national police headquarters.

Gonzaga’s relief and what appeared to be a promotion came on the heels of Puno’s order of an inquiry into whether jail officers had erred in allowing Ampatuan, the mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao, to hold the free-wheeling exchange with the media at the jail in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City.

Gross ignorance

Puno’s spokesperson Brian Yamsuan told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone that Gonzaga’s relief as deputy warden was a result of “his gross ignorance of normal jail procedures.”

“Possible administrative charges may be filed if investigation reveals that he or other officials have violated the law,” Yamsuan said.

During the Tuesday press conference, Ampatuan declared his family’s endorsement of Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

The incident became controversial not only because it was held in a high-security prison but also because Ampatuan used it to retract his earlier declaration of support for Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential candidate Manuel Villar.

Gonzaga had admitted that Ampatuan did not file a written request for the press conference, but said the latter had the permission of Chief Supt. Serafin Barretto, the BJMP-NCR chief.

In a statement issued Thursday, Interior Undersecretary for Public Safety Marius Corpus said that “in compliance with [Puno’s] directive, other jail officials found to have violated policies and regulations on the matter will be dealt with accordingly.”

Puno’s order stated that Laboy’s appointment and Gonzaga’s relief from his present assignment and his designation to the BJMP-NCR were in line with the provisions and implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 9263 (or the 2004 Act professionalizing the Bureau of Fire Protection and BJMP).

The two officers were ordered “to clear themselves of all money and property accountabilities and to effect a smooth turnover of responsibilities prior to reporting to their respective posts.”

Lying low

Calls to Gonzaga’s cell phone went unanswered.

“I also told him to lie low for a while,” Barretto told the Inquirer by phone, adding that his office had yet to receive a formal order on Gonzaga’s relief.

According to Barretto, Gonzaga was only the officer in charge of the Taguig jail.

He also said Ampatuan’s holding of a press conference was not irregular, and that such an activity was “allowed before, way back during the days of the PC-INP (Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police, the precursor of today’s police force).”

Barretto cited other instances when high-profile detainees like former ARMM Gov. and rebellion suspect Nur Misuari, child rape convict Romeo Jalosjos, ousted President and plunder convict Joseph Estrada and former Batangas Gov. and murder convict Antonio Leviste held press conferences at a BJMP facility.

He reiterated that detainees and their lawyers only needed to request media interviews or press conferences and the BJMP would make security arrangements.

(Two years ago, the Inquirer was invited to a birthday lunch of Leviste, who at that time was being held at the Makati City Jail while awaiting the decision on his murder case. Reporters were frisked and eventually allowed to interview him with tape recorders and cameras.)

Ampatuan’s candidate

Asked why the issue had become controversial, Barretto said the question on who Ampatuan was backing in the elections threw everything out of hand.

“[The Ampatuans] were only seeking to clarify some issues related to their case at the Department of Justice,” Barretto said. “But when a reporter saw Andal Jr.’s baller ID, he was asked who he was supporting, and the man answered.”

Barretto said the BJMP had already planned security measures, including arrangements for possible interviews with the media, to be implemented in the jail, which they dubbed “Oplan Ampatuan.”

He said that like other detainees, Ampatuan still had rights to self-expression.

Despite the controversy, Barretto said the media would still be allowed access to inmates.

“But the one to approve the request would be the interior secretary,” he said.

‘Not me’

Sen. Edgardo Angara Thursday denied that he had masterminded Ampatuan’s press conference.

“That is completely ridiculous and baseless. I do not know anyone from the prison facility in Taguig. You can check my phone records, I have not made any calls nor written any letters to orchestrate the press conference for Andal Ampatuan,” Angara said in a statement.

LP senatorial candidate Risa Hontiveros said on Wednesday that two lawyers identified with NP vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda had helped organize the press conference.

Hontiveros said one of the lawyers used to work for Angara and was now a member of Legarda’s staff, and that the other was “recommended by Senator Angara to be a member of the legal defense team of Ampatuan Jr.”

She added: “We have received reports that operatives of the NP were responsible for the latest smear job against Sen. Noynoy Aquino. They were the ones who rehearsed him (Ampatuan) before the press conference.”

Barking in all directions

But Angara dismissed the accusation and said it was unfortunate that the LP had “succumbed to barking at any direction to divert the issue of Ampatuan’s endorsement.”

“They said they have received reports that I was behind the press conference. I wish they examined its veracity first before lashing out with baseless accusations. As leaders of the country, we have a big role in nation-building, especially in educating our fellow citizens of the national issues and our legislative agenda,” he said, adding:

“And as such, we have to protect our credibility as a body. It’s not good for the public to see their legislators hurling stones at each other.”

Angara also denied reports that his political party, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), was backing Villar.

“Even what they said about my support for Villar has no leg to stand on. My party, the LDP, has expressed its support for Senator Legarda as its vice president. We do not back any presidential candidate up to now,” he said.

Angara called on the candidates to stop the “campaign gimmickry.”

“It is a disservice to our nation, and it derogates our democracy. We want our voters to cast an informed, educated vote, one that is based on platform and not on who seems to be the lesser evil,” he said.

Damage control

Hontiveros had also said it was Ampatuan’s legal counsel, Sigfrid Fortun, who arranged the press conference.

Fortun is a brother-in-law of NP spokesperson Gilbert Remulla, whose candidacy for the Senate has been endorsed by Ampatuan, she said.

“This is a classic attempt at damage control. It used to be fake psychiatric evaluation reports; now it’s a fake endorsement. What will they think of next?” Hontiveros said. With a report from Philip C. Tubeza

Angara to bets: Avoid meeting with foreign officials

Karen Ang — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:02:31 +0000

Angara to bets: Avoid meeting with foreign officials
By Helen Flores
The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Edgardo Angara yesterday urged political candidates to refrain from meeting officials of other countries to avoid suspicion that they are planning to manipulate the upcoming polls.

Angara issued the statement after Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno Aquino III admitted meeting some US government officials.

“Two or three weeks before the elections, they should refrain from meeting these people to prevent undue suspicion that they are influencing the outcome of the elections,” Angara told reporters in a Manila Hotel forum yesterday.

“I’m sure they are not but you’ll never know. The American meetings were done too close to the May 10 polls,” Angara said.

Aquino had said that his meeting with the US officials did not involve any serious discussions.

Aquino, son of democracy icon Corazon Aquino and former senator Benigno Aquino Jr., has topped all presidential surveys conducted by various polling firms.

Legarda: Why NP’s left, right, center fit together

Karen Ang — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 00:40:42 +0000

Legarda: Why NP’s left, right, center fit together
By Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—If you can believe its vice presidential candidate, the Nacionalista Party is an oasis of calm compared to rival camps beset by infighting and clashes of egos among the big-name politicos running under their banners.

There is unity and coherence within the NP camp and a high respect for each other, said Sen. Loren Legarda, who is running as a “guest” candidate of the NP.

“The difference in this campaign—we have no tension between and among us,” Legarda told Inquirer editors and reporters recently.

She credited the pivotal role played by the party’s standard-bearer, Sen. Manuel Villar, in gathering under one roof candidates from every political spectrum—left, right and center.

“Manny is a calm person. You never hear him say anything bad about the candidates. And even with the senatorial candidates—they are easy to be with. We have a genuine camaraderie … just like friends,” she said.

Serene and effortless

She described Villar’s handling of the affairs of the campaign as “effortless… that’s why we fit together.”

If anything, Villar’s “serene character” needed a “fighter” like her to complement it, said Legarda.

To hear Legarda—who has run in three national elections since 1998 under different parties with different partners—tell it, running under the NP is pure heaven.

“In 1998, there was so much tension. In 2004, tension and internal bickering were also present. In 2007, I was also with the united opposition, which had its share of bickering,” she said.

Unity slate

But now, with the NP, “there are no clashes of personalities,” she said, adding that the members of the NP treat one another with kindness.

She cited the case of senatorial candidates Satur Ocampo and Ferdinand Marcos Jr., two unlikely teammates in the Villar ticket whose differences—and past encounters—go beyond ideology.

Marcos’ father and namesake, the late dictator, was Ocampo’s jailer and tormentor when the latter was part of the underground communist movement. Ocampo still bears the marks of the torture inflicted on him while in detention during Marcos’ martial law regime.

Ocampo has long ago given up the armed struggle in favor of a peaceful “parliamentary struggle” and is now a candidate for senator after serving for three terms as a party-list representative.

After returning from exile with his family, Marcos Jr. and his family have succeeded in maintaining a firm grip on Ilocos Norte, alternating with his sister, Imee, in occupying the province’s second congressional seat. He has also served as the province’s governor.

Asked to explain this unexpected campaign alliance, Ocampo said: “We exercise mutual respect, mutual accommodation among ourselves in the NP senatorial slate.”

Were it not for Villar’s goal to have a “unity slate,” detained Col. Ariel Querubin would not be running in the same slate as Ocampo, either.

Some of the other members of the NP slate also have their own parties and are running as guest candidates.

The other NP senatorial candidates are Susan Ople, Gwen Pimentel, Ramon Mitra Jr. and Adel Tamano—the progeny of familiar political names—Gilbert Remulla, Liza Maza and reelectionist Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Pia Cayetano and Ramon Revilla Jr.

‘Feeling so loved’

Legarda said she felt most at home with the NP, which has coalesced with her party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition, and Sen. Edgardo Angara’s Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, which is in coalition with the NPC.

She said she felt “welcome and protected” in the NP, especially by Villar and his wife, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar.

“And they (the senators) are very protective and supportive of me. I feel so welcome, so loved by the group—left or right. It’s so easy (to get along) with Cynthia and Manny maybe because the leader is not emotional, is very calm and has a serene personality,” she said.

Legarda is confident she will succeed in her second stab at the vice presidency. She lost when she ran in 2004 with the late movie star Fernando Poe Jr. in what she described as one of the country’s “dirtiest” elections.

Come-from-behind victories

With less than a month to go before the elections, Legarda is lagging far behind LP candidate Sen. Manuel Roxas, but is undeterred.

“I’m a fighter. My victories are always come-from-behind. In 1998, I was No. 17 in the surveys,” she said, pointing to her No. 1 finishes in the 1998 and 2007 senatorial races.

“I just need to go around and cover more areas in this campaign as much as I can in the next few weeks,” she said.

The formula that will give her the vice presidency is a combination of media exposure and personal appearances, she said.

“Even if we have Internet, media and all of that, people still want to see the candidates in person to give them importance. I guess it’s a Filipino trait,” she said.

LP Senate bets bare secret of their unity

Karen Ang — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 00:15:26 +0000

LP Senate bets bare secret of their unity
By Jocelyn Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—How come no one is defecting from the Liberal Party? Despite limited funding, the LP remains intact.

Their secret: LP standard-bearer Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III knows how to take care of his teammates.

It’s Aquino’s little acts of thoughtfulness that they find most affecting, according to the LP senatorial candidates—Representatives Ruffy Biazon, Teofisto Guingona III and Rissa Hontiveros, and guest candidate, detained Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, represented by his wife, Aloy.

Even if all of his time is consumed by the campaign, Aquino makes time to give them pep talks, engage in light banter and even share chichiria (junk food) with them during breaks in the sorties, the LP senatorial candidates told Inquirer editors and reporters on Thursday.

“You would feel that he really sees you,” said Hontiveros.

Biazon recalled how Aquino kept their spirits up during a long bus ride while campaigning in Albay.

“We were going around the whole day. Most of us were already tired but Noynoy engaged us in light banter,” he recounted.

Leader of the pack

“It was an encouraging thing for me because as the leader of the group, he was keeping our spirits up and we were infected,” Biazon added.

The LP standard-bearer also does not hesitate to spare a few moments for his teammates whenever they need to consult him, Guingona said.

“In Baguio, he had just arrived onstage when I asked him if we could talk. He immediately agreed,” said Guingona.

“I was embarrassed because he had just taken his seat onstage but he stood up and went backstage [to accommodate me],” he said.

Biazon recalled that Aquino had bought chicharon (fried pork rind) for them to munch on while they waited for their return flight to Manila a few weeks ago.

But what surprised Biazon was that Aquino, before boarding, had bought an extra pack for his wife upon learning that she loved the snack. “He’s a good guy,” Guingona said.

They said these were the moments that have served to bind them closely together—more than the party’s funds that have allowed them to run a “decent and efficient” campaign, though far less spectacular than Aquino’s closest rival, the billionaire candidate of the Nacionalista Party, Sen. Manuel Villar.

No expectations

“We came in with our eyes open [that we will run on a budget] so we have no expectations,” said Guingona.

The LP’s Senate bets say they were not promised funding. Only the team’s campaign sorties are subsidized with lots of junk food on the side.

But the candidates said the support for the LP comes from something that cannot be matched by money—the still potent magic of the Aquino name.

“We don’t use star power as much as the other side. But we still have something that’s priceless, that’s beyond that. That’s the connect to Cory (the late former President Aquino, Noynoy’s mother), connect to the people, connect to the Edsa revolution,” said Hontiveros.

People remember Cory

“When people remember Cory, they remember the changes we fought for two decades ago and that it can be achieved again. It’s that second chance that we hardly get in life,” said Hontiveros.

Aquino launched his candidacy following the massive outpouring of grief after his mother died last August. Critics expected the younger Aquino’s popularity to eventually wane, but the LP only saw a surge.

“When we go on motorcades with Noy, the reaction of the crowd is different even if we don’t bring stars,” Biazon said.

“When people hear that I am running under Noynoy, they show their approval. It tells me that they’re pinning their hopes on Noy,” he said.

Fast-food donation

Hontiveros, a first-time senatorial aspirant, said one would be surprised by how the support is sometimes manifested. She recalled how one woman approached her while she was having brunch at a Quezon City fast-food joint and handed her what she said was her campaign donation.

“She said ‘Excuse me, for your campaign funds.’ She then pressed a thin wad [of money] that turned out to be two neatly folded P1,000 bills. I was moved to tears because it was one of those weeks when it was so hard to raise any funds. I felt she just took out whatever she had,” Hontiveros said.

The woman refused to identify herself and walked away after shaking her hand.

Knock off 4 rivals

The senatorial hopefuls also explained why they remained loyal to the party and why they want to knock down four rivals from the so-called “Magic 12” circle of possible senatorial winners.

They said they wanted to stop what they called a “Villaroyo” legislature should Aquino and his running mate, Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, win.

“We don’t want Noy and Mar to be shackled by a neutral or hostile Senate, especially a Congress with [President] Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo there. So we are really working so that voters carry the whole LP senatorial slate,” said Hontiveros.

Knowing how long they still have to go, they are “thinking of ways and means to get up there and be in there,” said Guingona.

The latest Social Weather Stations survey showed that Biazon, Hontiveros, Guingona and Lim are still far from breaking into the magic circle which is dominated by the NP.

‘Villaroyo’ Congress

Biazon said a “Villaroyo” legislature was highly possible if Villar and his running mate Loren Legarda were to lose the elections to Aquino and Roxas and return to the Senate with the winning NP candidates.

If the surveys prove right, Villar would have 10 allies and “sympathizers” in the Senate, he said, adding that the swing votes left would probably be incumbent Sen. Edgardo Angara and the Nationalist People’s Coalition’s Vicente Sotto III, assuming that the latter wins. (Sotto has constantly ranked sixth or seventh in the surveys.)

“They could get the majority. So our call really is for voters to carry the whole team so we can work and defend Noy and Mar,” said Hontiveros.

NP senatorial candidate and party spokesperson Adel Tamano said it was presumptuous of the LP to declare this early who will win or lose in the elections, “unless they have a crystal ball.”

“Win first before you start counting. As far as I know, May 10 is still a couple of weeks away and I think it’s much too early to be toasting the champagne and celebrating victory,” Tamano said.

Villar’s Senate majority

But Tamano agreed with Biazon that the Villar group could get a majority in the next Senate.

“We’re hoping that we will have a lot of Nacionalistas in the Senate, so that might be true that the next Senate will have an NP majority,” he said.

Villar, meanwhile, said he expected Ms Arroyo to become Speaker in an Aquino presidency, while he would “put up my own candidate for the speakership if I win.”

Villar and Legarda, who were at a rally in Lingayen, Pangasinan, on Saturday, said the LP candidates were “guilty of what they are accusing us of.”

They cited the shift of many Arroyo administration officials to the Aquino camp.

“You can see that Team GMA is already completely led by Noynoy. All the economic managers of GMA are with them, so it’s already complete,” Villar said, adding that former Arroyo press secretary Ignacio Bunye will soon join the “Aquino-Arroyo Cabinet.” With reports from Tarra Quismundo and Michael Lim Ubac

Palace to public: Help ensure success of automated polls

Karen Ang — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:09:17 +0000

Palace to public: Help ensure success of automated polls
By Paolo Romero
The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang decried yesterday people spreading rumors of a failure of elections on May 10 and called on the public to remain vigilant and help the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ensure the successful conduct of the country’s first nationwide automated polls.

The Comelec, on the other hand, dismissed speculations of a failure of elections that could favor President Arroyo, saying it is considering an independent unofficial partial count of the election results.

Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza commented on various allegations – including that of Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III – that the Arroyo administration was planning to sabotage the polls to prolong its grip on power.

“We are doing everything to make these elections very credible and the last thing that we should have is a failure of elections. I don’t think that’s good for the country,” Mendoza said.

No failure of elections

Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, meanwhile, said the poll body is deliberating whether to allow the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and the Kapisan ng mga Broadcaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) to conduct a separate tally of the results of the May 2010 polls.

Larrazabal said the proposal is for the PPCRV and KBP to consolidate the election returns or tally data from the Comelec’s website.

“As soon as the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines transmit the results, we will make the data available in the website and to the majority and minority parties,” he said.

He, however, emphasized that the poll body is discussing ways to prevent the possibility of “trending,” which could affect the credibility of election results.

“The thrust is that we will be releasing data every so often to keep the people abreast of what is happening, but posting the running total will still be discussed,” the commissioner said.

The sum of all fears

The idea of a parallel count sits well with Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manny Villar Jr., even as he admitted that he also had doubts about the automated system.

Sen. Edgardo Angara, on the other hand, reiterated his calls for the election of a new senate president to forestall “chaos after President Arroyo’s term expires on June 30.

“I have been in Mindanao lately and people there have been experiencing eight hours of power failure each day. If power shortage leads to automation failure in Mindanao, that’s 25 to 30 percent of votes gone,” he said.

Angara, who is one of the senators whose term lasts up to 2013, said that without results of the elections for national positions by noon of June 30 when the terms of the president, vice president, Senate president, and House speaker expire, “a frontier area will result, where he who has guns will be the winner.”

He noted that shifting to manual elections in problematic areas could also delay the results of elections for the national posts, amid the apparent lack of preparation of the Comelec and the political parties for manual counting.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s term ends this June, although he is seeking reelection.

Under the law, the Senate President is third in the order of succession to the presidency.

Angara said there is no question among his colleagues that the election of a new Senate president could assuage fears of a leadership vacuum.

There is also a possibility that the counting of votes for congressional and local candidates could be finished way ahead of those for national positions in the May elections, with Pres. Arroyo winning in Pampanga’s congressional race and being elected as House Speaker.

The speaker is fourth in the line of succession to the presidency.

Check Comelec expenditures

But the manual counting and the possible power vacuum in case of a failure of elections are not the only problems that need to be addressed, according to Senate Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

Pimentel called on the Congressional Oversight Committee on Automated Election System to convene to help Comelec Chairman Jose Melo ensure the proper use of extra funds.

“There is so much money at the disposal of the Comelec that the temptation to provide operators with golden parachutes for their retirement is so great,” Pimentel said.

More than P2 billion was allocated for the cost of the election automation with Smartmatic aside from the P10 billion allotted for its operation under the national budget.

“For instance, the Comelec will have to deliver 76,340 ballot boxes to the election registrars of 120 cities and 1,501 municipalities. The total cost of transportation of those ballot boxes would sit at P519 million. That means that the cost of transportation per ballot box is P6,800,” he said. – With Mayen Jaymalin, Ding Cervantes, Christina Mendez, Rainier Allan Ronda, Perseus Echeminada, Eva Visperas

He added that there is unverified information that another P499 million has been set aside for the delivery of the ballot boxes to 1,600 treasurers throughout the country.

Perlas: Postpone the elections

But independent presidential candidate Nicanor Perlas is painting a grimmer scenario.

Perlas called for a postponement of the national elections by three months, doubting the poll body’s ability to pull off the automated elections.

He said the glitches that plagued the recent Hong Kong absentee voting serves as proof of the Comelec’s lack of readiness.

He also noted that calls are being made for a review of the indelible ink contract and bidding process and took notice that the Comelec admitted in a forum that the winners will not be known within 48 hours due to the sheer number of candidates.

“The way things are being handled by the Comelec, the automated system will be the black hole of the election. Pushing through with the May 10 elections will just further plunge the country into chaos that is potentially violent,” he said.

Partido ng Masang Pilipino senatorial bet Jose de Venecia III, for his part, said the Comelec should remove its blinders and stop pretending that a “failure of elections scenario” is inconceivable. – Mayen Jaymalin, Ding Cervantes, Christina Mendez, Rainier Allan Ronda, Perseus Echeminada, Eva Visperas

Mindanao execs warn of May 10 special operations

Karen Ang — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:29:08 +0000

Mindanao execs warn of May 10 special operations
By Aurea Calica
The Philippine Star

ROXAS CITY, Capiz , Philippines – Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III disclosed yesterday that he had received information about “special operations” or cheating being planned by certain groups to manipulate the May 10 elections in Mindanao.

He said that local officials, including those not allied with the LP, have pledged not to participate in any plan to cheat or derail the elections in their jurisdictions.

Aquino said the special operations or cheating during elections had been known to be going on in the country but the problem was that nobody had ever been convicted of an election offense.

“Think of the transition from one administration to another as a sign of a mature democracy. But how come in every election we are like this? During my mother’s (former President Corazon Aquino) time, there was an orderly transition (to former President Fidel Ramos) but we are going back to where we used to be. There is talk of no-el (no elections), failure (of elections scenarios). Why are we stepping back instead of moving forward?” Aquino said.

President Arroyo was accused of cheating in the 2004 presidential race after the discovery of alleged wiretapped conversations she had with former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, which became known as the “Hello, Garci” tapes.

Aquino said the “Hello, Garci” scandal has not been resolved, and if elected he would form a commission to investigate the 2004 poll scandal and other anomalies in which Mrs. Arroyo had been implicated.

He said that the bombings in Basilan last Tuesday might be a prelude to a disruption of the May 10 elections in Mindanao.

He said violent incidents would force the LP to double efforts to ensure that elections in the south would be honest, since there are widespread reports that poll fraud might occur in Mindanao.

He lamented that violence in Mindanao erupted when the Commission on Elections (Comelec) had not yet responded to their concerns regarding poll automation.

He said it would be difficult to speculate on what his rivals could do in Mindanao, especially if it would be placed under military control.

“We are still gathering data so we can arrive at a decision based on correct information. That’s our training, because when you jump to conclusions chances are you will make faulty plans,” Aquino said.

He said many previous violent incidents have remained unresolved, and he had earlier warned that the suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits involved in the latest Basilan bombings used C4 plastic explosives that are only available to the military.

“In mining and construction here, the use of C4 is rare unlike in the US. Where do you access the C4? Normally in the military, not in the PNP (Philippine National Police),” Aquino said.

“Where did the C4 come from? The current administration never answers. Do we really have tight control over explosives?” he said.

LP’s Muslim senatorial candidate Yasmin Lao called for sobriety amidst the worsening breakdown of peace and order in Mindanao.

She said that the renewed attacks in Basilan could be part of a sinister plot to sabotage the May 10 elections in the region.

Lao condemned the series of attacks on a Roman Catholic church, a school grandstand and three other public places in Isabela City in Basilan as un-Islamic and urged the police to work double time to arrest the attackers and ensure the safety of the public.

She said the bombings could be part of an organized plot to derail the elections.

Chaos

Administration Sen. Edgardo Angara said there is a 70 percent chance that elections would fail next month, which could plunge the country into chaos.

Angara stressed that there is a great probability of a failure of elections, given the admission by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that there is a 30 to 40 percent chance they would revert to manual elections and the growing percentage of those who may be disenfranchised or fail to cast their votes.

Filipinos are preparing for a historic election in which they will vote using machines for the first time, but there are rising fears the experiment could fail and trigger deep political chaos.

More than 82,000 automated machines will be used in the elections, with results expected to be known in just two days instead of several weeks under the former hand-counted manual system.

But electricity supply problems, data transmission complications, the reliability of the machines themselves and the potential for the system to be manipulated could lead to a failure of elections, analysts said.

“There are a lot of problems and vulnerabilities in the system that have not been checked, and this could lead to a failure,” Bobby Tuazon, policy studies director at the Center for People Empowerment and Governance, told AFP.

“These machines have not been subjected to rigid stress tests in actual conditions,” said Tuazon, whose group is an independent poll watchdog that has closely studied the automation process.

The breakdown of two machines in Hong Kong when voting for overseas-based Filipinos got underway on the weekend only heightened the concerns.

The automated polls are being introduced to reduce the risk of cheating, which has plagued Philippine elections in the past, and to make the process of counting 50 million votes more reliable and efficient.

But the Comelec has even admitted there is a chance 30 percent of the machines, provided by a Dutch-Filipino consortium in a P7.2-billion- ($161-million) deal, could fail.

Noynoy disputes Villar’s claim

Meanwhile, Aquino also disputed the claim of main rival Sen. Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party that he was the real ally of President Arroyo.

Aquino said as far as he was concerned, the LP did not accept all defectors from the administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD because of certain qualifications and standards that the LP wants its members to adapt.

Aquino explained that Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, a senior economic adviser of Mrs. Arroyo, was accepted to the LP because he is independent-minded.

He said the NP, however, had accepted Lakas defectors that LP rejected, which proved that Villar’s party lacked principles.

Aquino said there would be other defectors from other major parties that would join LP.

He said the LP was making all those who wanted to join them agree to certain terms, especially on the kind of governance they would like to have.

Aquino said Salceda would take care of the LP’s campaign in Bicol and that he would also consider the Albay governor to be one of his advisers.

Aquino and Roxas met yesterday with Sagay City Mayor Alfredo Maranon of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

The LP bets endorsed the bid for Negros Occidental governor of Maranon who had not yet endorsed any presidential candidate.

LP leaders assailed the continuous black propaganda being conducted by NP and Nationalist People’s Coalition vice presidential candidate Sen. Loren Legarda against Roxas.

The LP pointed out that Legarda was the source of the revived allegations against Roxas’ wife, broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez, the attacks against the Cheaper Medicine Law and the land case involving the Aranetas now pending before the Supreme Court.

Roxas lamented that his wife, who had decided to work on the sidelines, had been dragged into the mudslinging. With Jose Rodel Clapano, Antonieta Lopez, Manny Galvez

DBM on pork release: No political consideration

Karen Ang — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:43:10 +0000

DBM on pork release: No political consideration
By Paolo Romero
The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines – Budget Secretary Joaquin Lagonera yesterday maintained that there were no political considerations in the release of pork barrel allocations to lawmakers because it was compliant with the standards set by the 2010 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Lagonera was responding to allegations made by Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr. that President Arroyo has advanced congressional allocations to her allies in Congress apparently to boost their campaign and retain their support for the administration.

De Venecia complained that his pork barrel, euphemistically called Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), has not been released since last year. De Venecia had a falling out with Mrs. Arroyo when he was still Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“The releases were made not along party lines, but (project) priority lines,” Lagonera told The STAR. “This issue always crops up every year, when there are releases (of PDAF.)”

He, however, said that he will check on De Venecia’s concerns.

Newly installed Lakas-Kampi-CMD party secretary-general Ray Roquero, on the other hand, denied that the administration party had a hand in the recent pork barrel releases.

“It’s the DBM that releases the fund, the party has nothing to do with it,” Roquero said.

He said the release is made every quarter as provided for by law.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Charito Planas said one major constraint in the release of PDAF is the lack of funds.

Lagonera pointed out that many administration congressmen have been angrily complaining to him that their requests have not been processed or approved by the DBM because of certain standards and constraints, mainly lack of funds.

“There are piles of requests in my office and many of them (administration lawmakers) are not happy,” Lagonera said.

He said the administration has set rules under the law that only economically beneficial projects, like farm-to-market roads, agricultural and irrigation projects, and education, among others, are allowed to be financed by PDAF.

“The projects must be consistent with the priorities called for by our economic situation,” Lagonera said.

He, however, admitted that lawmakers are also allowed some “soft” projects like giving scholarships and direct assistance to hospitals for dialysis and chemotherapy of their poor constituents.

He said it was normal that there would be a deluge in the filing of requests for pork barrel fund releases once the national budget is signed into law.

What compounded the situation, according to Lagonera, is the ban on projects set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) owing to the coming elections on May 10. So congressmen, both administration and opposition, rushed to secure the release of their respective pork barrel allocations.

However, he said the lawmakers could have sought exemptions from the Comelec or just wait until after the elections and file their requests again.

“After May, we’ll see what we can do. Like if we have enough cash or expedite those already in the process,” he said.

Senators also get their ‘pork’

Meanwhile, sources at the House of Representatives said the senators are getting their share of billions in pork barrel releases.

“Yes, they are receiving their share, which is definitely a lot bigger than ours,” a member of the House committee on appropriations told The STAR yesterday.

“They are getting a large part of their P200-million a year regular allocation, plus their initiatives or insertions,” he said.

He said before Malacañang makes releases, the House, in the case of a congressman, or the Senate, in the case of a senator, certifies that certain amount of funds is included in the budget for the concerned member’s projects.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Edgardo Angara, finance committee chairman, sign certifications for the Senate; while Speaker Prospero Nograles and Quirino Rep. Junie Cua, appropriations committee chairman, sign such documents for the House, he said.

The certifications are accompanied by a listing of projects from a senator or congressman requesting for the release of his or her allocations, he added.

The congressional pork barrel dispenses P70 million for each of the more than 250 House members and P200 million for each senator. On top of those huge amounts, lawmakers have the so-called congressional initiatives or budgetary insertions.

The appropriations committee source said of the P65 billion in debt service funds that the Senate and the House diverted to the pork barrel, one-third or P21.6 billion is allocated for senators and P43.4 billion for congressmen.

“That has always been the sharing formula for insertions – it’s one-third, two-thirds. This means that if all insertions are released, the 23 senators will have an average of more than P1 billion each in pork this year, including the annual fund of P200 million. That is an unprecedented amount of pork,” he said.

Of the P65 billion diverted to the pork barrel, P30.3 billion, or almost half, was added to the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways, where most congressional insertions are hidden.

Subsidies to government corporations were augmented by P3.3 billion to P24.3 billion. Among the recipients is the two-year-old Aurora Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), whose 2010 budget was increased by P650 million to P800 million.

Angara authored the law creating ASEZA, which has barely taken off and is facing a land dispute with farmers. The Angaras are from Aurora.

Another recipient of additional subsidy is Enrile’s Cagayan Economic Zone Authority.

Not all senators, however, are receiving even their regular P200 million fund. Reached by The STAR, senators Benigno Aquino III and Francis Escudero said they are not getting their allocations.

Aquino, who is Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate, said his running mate, Sen. Mar Roxas, is also not getting his share.

Senators Panfilo Lacson and Jamby Madrigal have deducted their combined P400 million allotments from the P1.5-trillion 2010 budget.

In the wake of reports that Malacañang is releasing not only regular pork barrel allocations but budgetary insertions as well, President Arroyo’s former economic planning secretary Ralph Recto urged her to “obey her own rule.” – Jess Diaz, Perseus Echeminada

Senate special session eyed

Karen Ang — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 08:24:39 +0000

FAILURE OF ELECTION SCENARIO
Senate special session eyed
By Christine Avendaño
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Senate leaders Tuesday said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has to call for a special session of Congress in order to elect a new Senate President who could act as the interim president should the May elections fail.

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon said he has prepared a bill that provides for the election of an acting or caretaker Senate President from among the 12 senators who will remain serving until 2013.

But of this latter group, Biazon has proposed the exclusion of three senators—Manuel Villar Jr., Benigno Aquino III and Loren Legarda—because they are running for election in May.

This means that the choice for a new Senate president will come from these nine senators—Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Edgardo Angara, Joker Arroyo, Francis Escudero, Panfilo Lacson, Gregorio Honasan, Francis Pangilinan, Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV.

Biazon said his proposal is based on a constitutional provision that authorizes Congress to provide for the selection of an acting president in case the line of succession is broken.

While he considered the possibility of an election failure “remote,” Biazon said he was proposing a measure “that will cause the election of an acting president or caretaker president.”

His bill provides that immediately after a declaration of a failure of election by the Commission on Elections, Congress must convene and proceed to elect an acting president from the senators whose mandate will expire on June 30, 2013, he said.

Biazon said that if Ms Arroyo refuses to convene a special session, Congress can tackle the election of a Senate president when it convenes on May 31 to canvass the presidential and vice presidential votes.

“We can enact that law and immediately proceed to elect a caretaker president,” he said.

In separate interviews, Zubiri and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said the election of a new Senate president can only be done if the Senate is in session.

But because Congress is on a break for the election campaign, the President would have to call a special session for this purpose.

“The decision should be made in plenary. We have to put it on [the] record,” said Zubiri, who chairs the Senate rules committee.

Pimentel said senators could not just meet in a caucus to elect a Senate president.

Earlier, Angara called for the election of a new Senate president, preferably before the May 10 polls, so there would be someone to act as president in case there should be a failure of elections.

Angara said the line of succession would be broken at midnight of June 30 because the terms of office of Ms Arroyo, Vice President Noli de Castro, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Prospero Nograles will expire then.

He proposed that all 23 senators elect a new Senate president from among the 12 senators who will be serving until 2013.

Enrile said on Monday that he was willing to step down but only after May 10 when the country will know for sure that the polls had failed. Though he does not think the elections will fail, Enrile said if they do, he himself would take the initiative and call senators to a meeting to decide whom they wanted for the post.

However, Pimentel doubts it would be possible to muster a quorum for a special session with the election campaign already in full swing.

He also agreed that the country’s first automated polls ending in failure was a “far-fetched scenario.”