Gloria Arroyo’a administration slapped again by the Supreme Court.
Today, the High Court ordered the Department of Justice (DoJ) to dismiss the rebellion case against six militant lawmakers and their co-accused for lack of sufficient evidence.
The partylist legislators are Bayan Muna Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño, Joel Virador; Anakpawis Representatives Rafael Mariano and Crispin Beltran; and Gabriela Representative Liza Maza.
It seems some people are losing their sense of humor these days.
Yesterday, while having a meeting, lawyer Harry Roque got a call from an unidentified male using cell phone number 0906-2053-307 telling him that they didn’t like the pamaypay incident at the Comelec canvassing at the PICC last Wednesday.
Harry immediately put the call on speakerphone for his companion to also hear. The caller told Harry that the pamaypay incident was pambabastos to former Comelec Chairman Virgilio Garcillano who was caught in a telephone conversation with a number of personalities including Gloria Arroyo discussing the rigging of the 2004 election results in favor of Arroyo.
Kampi clique eyes powerful committees
A clique in the pro-administration Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) has put Speaker Jose de Venecia’s leadership to a test in a move to gain control over powerful and prestigious committees.
It is in these committees where proposed laws are first discussed, deliberated upon and are either passed or shelved by lawmakers, depending on who wields the greater influence.
Lawmakers, driven by the desire to get hold of several important committees, therefore devise game plans to win the juicy seats.
Gloria Arroyo’s Team Unity had always boasted that Mindanao is their bailiwick but recanvassed South Cotabato votes showed people went for Genuine Opposition senatorial bets. Here’s Malaya’s story by Gerard Naval:
Related story from the Inquirer: Cayetano dislodges Arroyo in 8th place
The allegations of re-elected Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes that votes of several senatorial candidates were either padded or shaved in South Cotabato were confirmed yesterday.
After a recanvassing of the province’s votes, which was ordered by the National Board of Canvassers (NBC), 141,674 votes were credited to Team Unity’s Juan Miguel Zubiri, or 77,000 votes more than the 218,674 he got in the original certificate of canvass (COC) submitted by the South Cotabato board of canvassers. Zubiri remained No. 13 in the Comelec count after the new COC was admitted by the NBC.
Last Tuesday, the Concerned Citizens Group and Kontra Daya held an innovative silent protest while watching the canvassing of the senatorial votes at the PICC. They wanted to convey the message to Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos and his fellow commissioners that the citizenry would not allow another thwarting of their will.
Matindi itong manifesto na pinirmahan ng 11 na kandidato para senador ng Genuine Opposition.
Sama-sama nilang tinuligsa ang maraming kaso ng dayaan. Pinu-protesta nila ang pagsama ng mga manufactured na mga boto sa Maguindanao kung saan 12-0 ang score pabor sa mga kandidato ng Team Unity.
Nagpasalamat sila sa mga titser at mga election watchdogs katulad ng PPCRV, Namfrel, Lente, Kontra Daya, Bantay Boto at iba pa.
By Wendell Vigilia
Former presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor today accepted defeat in the senatorial race.
“I concede to ease the tension … and to dismiss any notion that there may be illegal acts committed to attain my victory,” he said in a press conference with his wife July Rose and four children.
Defensor is at No. 15 based on the latest results of the national canvassing by the Commission on Elections.
A call for a clean, honest, quick, and transparent counting of the votes
We, the senatorial candidates of the Genuine Opposition, strongly denounce the numerous cases of actual and attempted eelctoral fraud,cheating, manipulation, and sabotage in relation to the senatorial elections and the ongoing counting of votes.
In particular, we vehemently object to the inclusion of the very questionable “election results” from Maguindanao in the national canvass in view of reports that these “results” were fabricated and that no actual election ccurred there. We also condemn the actual and attempted cases of vote-shaving/vote padding (dagdag-bawas) that have been carried out agfainst us and that are being medrely dismissed as “an honest mistake” or “a clerical error” without any thorough investigation.
Click here for DZMM interview with Sarmiento.
Inquirer update: I will not resign as commissioner – Sarmiento
The “Look of the Year” award should go to Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento when he was confronted by ABS-CBN News Channel correspondent Ricky Carandang with the video he got of election returns being transported to Maria Cristina Hotel in Iligan City last Monday.
That “look” was captured vividly on TV and seen here and abroad.
It was nakakahiya. A Comelec official caught covering up for something that his people were trying to hide.
A sense of humor is the Filipino’s best coping mechanism. And that’s sharpened in times of crisis.
Lawyer Edwin Lacierda sent us the euphemisms and terms he learned during the 2007 elections which he didn’t learn in law school:
1. Clerical error. Getting caught cheating and explaining it away;