Month: February 2007

First the attempted expulsion from the House of Representatives. It failed. Next, fielding a nuisance candidate registering his name as Joselito “Peter” Cayetano. Now, it’s Alan’s citizenship.

The following report is by Evangeline de Vera for Malaya.

Is the government picking on Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano?

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said he received a tip last Saturday that Cayetano, a member of the 12-man Genuine Opposition senatorial ticket, is a “green card” holder, courtesy of his American mother.

Team GMA senatorial candidate says he admits that Gloria is a cheat. And yet he is with her. And he is asking Filipinos to vote for him!

Following story is by Gil C. Cabacungan Jr. in the Inquirer.

It sounds crass but senatorial candidate Edgardo Angara says it is true.

Angara said he believed his chances of winning in the May 14 elections had been enhanced by his decision to run under the administration ticket because this was an assurance that his votes would be “counted.”

Conrado de Quiros of the Inquirer is always good and inspiring reading. This one is searingly good.

I’ve always liked and respected Joker Arroyo. It’s not because he is a Bicolano. I don’t particularly like or respect the other Bicolanos who have been thrust into the limelight over the years, except for Raul Roco.

Joker I’ve liked and respected in the same way that I’ve always liked and respected Nene Pimentel. Despite drifting to the “Dark Side” at some point in their lives, they’ve kept a good deal of the “Force” inside them—in the form of defending human rights. That was how they made a name for themselves to begin with, as human rights lawyers. No, more than that, as people whose hearts burned with the libertarian fire.

Okay itong si Cesar Montano. This is from Inquirer’s account of Team GMA proclamation rally in Cebu: Montano, who was raised in Bohol and is…

Fom ABS-CBN news:

No campaign poster was allowed inside the Philippine Military Academy in Fort del Pilar in Baguio City Saturday and politicians adopted by different PMA class were not around during its alumni homecoming but the event still did not escape politics.

ABS-CBN News reported that guest speaker and re-electionist Senate President Manuel Villar took the occasion to hit the Arroyo administration in its alleged railroading of Charter change.

In his speech, Villar scored allies of President Arroyo for their alleged efforts to hastily amend the 1987 Constitution without going through the proper procedures.

by JB Baylon
Malaya

Yesterday I read a news report that said that Namfrel and the CBCP were teaming up to do another quick-count. Immediately, I was seized by a feeling of disbelief, if not disgust. Namfrel, doing another quick count?

Does that mean that people still trust Namfrel?

Frankly, I’ve lost whatever respect I have had left of Namfrel as an independent, quick-count organization. The last straw was Namfrel chair Joe Concepcion insisting that there was no cheating in the 2004 elections or, as I suspect he will say now, no cheating on a scale massive enough to bring into question the over-all results. This, despite the taped voices that anyone trying to avoid a lawsuit would say “sounds like” the voices of the incumbent president and a non-disgraced elections commissioner, and despite the very obvious cover-up that started with the now-infamous “I have two discs” performance of Ignacio Bunye (who, in that one fell swoop damaged his credibility beyond the after-life).