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Tag: Vera Files

Ombudsman still running after NBN-ZTE star witness

Whistleblower Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada could be the perfect example of how, in this country, people like him who dare spill the beans on wrongdoing get punished, not rewarded. It is a practice that he said must change under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

Three years after he faced the Senate as star witness exposing the corruption-ridden contract for a national broadband network, Lozada still faces a slew of lawsuits while the people he has accused of making millions of pesos in commissions have mostly escaped sanctions.

“Masigasig sila sa kakahabol sa kaso ko, eh (They’re determined to pursue the cases against me),” said Lozada, who still faces a P19.5-million malversation case related to the jathropa project of the Philippine Forest Corp. which he used to head. He also faces a graft case allegedly for the anomalous purchase of motor vehicles, fencing materials and other equipment worth P15 million.

Local politics: hot spots and confusing alliances

Since March when Vote 2010 was unveiled in VERA Files website, our local partners have been actively sending us stories which give us a picture of the situation in the provinces this election season.

In Iloilo, Melvin Purzuelo of Green Forum Western Visayas said there is no clear party lines. It’s halo-halo. His report:

“As if the automation of the May 10 polls were not complicated enough, local political formations here are making the upcoming elections more confusing.

“Mayor Jerry Trenas, who is running for congressman, and Vice Mayor Jed Mabilog, who is running for mayor, have formed an alliance with only the two of them as common candidates. Trenas supports the Nacionalista Party (NP) for the national positions while Mabilog is with the Liberal Party (LP).

Mining and the candidates

Most presidential bets seek new mining code

by Roslyn Arayata
Alyansa Tigil Mina

Majority of the presidential candidates favor a revision of the country’s mining policy, a survey of a network of green groups revealed.

Conducted on the third week of February by the Green Electoral Initiative (GEI) led by EcoWaste Coalition and Greenpeace, the results showed that six of the seven candidates who responded to the GEI survey support the passing of an Alternative Mining Code.
Iloilo City candidates go for Cha-cha

Click here (VERA VILES Vote2010) for the rest of the story.

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Iloilo City candidates go for Cha-Cha

by Melvin Purzuelo
Green Forum-Western Visayas

Iloilo City. —It’s yes to “Cha-cha” and to mining for all three congressional candidates here.

The power of being informed

Vote 2010
Vote 2010
Last Monday, VERA Files unveiled its Vote 2010 page within its website www.verafiles.org.

(Click on the Vote 2010 logo on the upper right side of this page and it will bring you to the page.)

Vote 2010 is a partnership among VERA Files, civil society organizations, the community media, individuals and institutions monitoring the May 10, 2010 elections.

Readers will find stories related to the forthcoming May elections that is being held at the time of deep distrust of the administration that is overseeing the nationwide, untested automated polls.

Readers will also find basic information on the May elections and background materials on the candidates including their schedule and campaign movements.

This partnership is about citizen empowerment.