Philippine Election 2010 Issues

The electorate voiced out their sentiments regarding their most dreaded fears in next Monday's national and local elections.

Harassment or intimidation done by incumbent politicians and their men topped the "fear factor" of the electorate during a random survey conducted yesterday by the top-rated Radyo Merkado," over dyRD.

The independent weekly radio survey asked its listeners on the "things they fear would happen come Election Day?"

Some 34% of the respondents said harassment of voters would be the most dangerous thing expected to happen in the May 10 polls.

Majority of the respondents who noted harassment as their first fear, cited the dreaded City Task Force created by Mayor Dan Lim in the city which will be used as his private army and goons to demand votes from the electorate during the May 10 elections.

Twenty-two percent of those who fear "harassment on election day" as the primary concern cited the well entrenched members of the dreaded task force in the city who are already assigned in the city's 15 barangays. In fact, their mobility is already assured after Mayor Lim purchased "spider cabs for them" since he created the group which he called as the City Monitoring Team.

Even during the campaign trail, supporters of mayoralty bet Jose Antonio Veloso already reported of harassment made by the Task Force members to those who will attend his nightly caucus in the barangays.

Propaganda materials of congressional bet, former Gov. Rene Relampagos and mayoralty bet Veloso were ordered detached by task force members from tricycle units amid threat they will not be renewed of their city hall permits.

  

Veloso, during a radio interview, said the intimidation will even worsen on Election Day. He forecast that the task force members will be tapped by the mayor to block some of their supporters from going to the precincts which Lim did in the previous elections.

Some respondents, on the other hand, also expressed fear of the worsening intimidation in some towns in the second district in the congressional race contested by Gov. Erico Aumentado and Trinidad mayor Judith Cajes, wife of last-termer solon Roberto Cajes.

The survey showed that next to harassment, the electorate expects massive vote buying on Election Day. Some 29 percent of the respondents cited vote buying as a major election violation which is expected to be at its peak on the eve of and on the Election Day itself.

As of this time, the town of Loay was reported to have the most "expensive" vote buying which already started during the campaign trail. The mayoralty race is contested by re-electionist Mayor May Lim-Imboy and Willy Flores of Alona Kew Resort.

Some respondents revealed that special operations locally called as "pusil" will also be applied during Monday's election in the hotly contested mayoralty races in the city and towns.

"Pusil," according to the informant-respondent is done by tough guys supporting the mayoralty bet who will intimidate household members not to vote, and at the same time, will dole out few thousands of pesos in exchange for their compliance of their request for them not to go to their voting precinct.

Nine percent of the respondents in the radio survey expressed fear for computer malfunction and possible power interruption on Election Day up to the counting of votes.

Other concerns of respondents on election: insistence of some party leaders to expose the voters ballots through "internal agreement", lack of transportation in the hinterlands and a possible people power in the event the so-called "people's choice" might not win in the electoral counting.

Philippine Election 2010 Campaign Materials

The Office of the secretary to Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim has warned against tearing down the yellow banners displayed in the city and bearing the faces of slain senator Benigno `Ninoy' Aquino, Jr. and his wife, former President Corazon Aquino unless they are ready to face charges.

Lawyer Rafaelito Garayblas said that last month, city legal officer Renato dela Cruz wrote the Commission on Elections to seek its opinion on the action taken by some Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) personnel, assisted by policemen from the National Capital Region Office (NCRPO), who jointly tore down the Cory and Ninoy banners from the center islands along Roxas Boulevard and Padre Burgos Street and the park where the statues of the Aquino couple stood, at the corner of P. Burgos and Bonifacio Drive in Ermita.

In his letter to Atty. Ferdinand Rafanan, Director IV of the Comelec's law department, Dela Cruz asked if such move by the MMDA and the NCRPO was authorized by the Comelec.

In his letter-reply, Rafanan said the Comelec did not issue any authority to remove the said banners.

"Further, banners bearing only the pictures and names of Ninoy and Cory Aquino are not considered election campaign materials as provided under Comelec Resolution 875," Rafanan said in his letter, which was signed not only by him but also by Director III Atty. Josllyn de Mesa and Atty. Ma Juan Valeza, attorney IV of the investigation and prosecution division.

Garayblas said the city government had maintained that the yellow banners only bore pictures and names of both Ninoy and Cory and were the city's little way of paying tribute to them as their modern-day heroes.

Noynoy Aquino's Psychological Status

As an observer of language, I came across a very instructive case study recently of how a revealing, off-the-cuff press statement of a presidential candidate, Sen. Benigno Aquino III, was fudged in translation and in paraphrase by certain media outlets that reported it. The concern of Jose Carillo's English Forum being primarily the use and misuse of language, however, I would neither dwell on the political implications of that statement nor make any psychological inferences from it. My critique will simply focus on the blatant unfaithfulness of the translation from Tagalog to English by two media outlets, and on how another media outlet presented as direct quotes a heavily paraphrased and fudged English translation of Sen. Aquino's actual statement in Tagalog.

My critique of this unileral fudging of Sen. Aquino's press statement leads off my special watch of media's coverage of the national election campaign. I'm doing this instead of my usual media grammar watch from now until the voting on May 10. It will focus on the language used by the election protagonists and by the media outlets themselves in their poll campaign reportage. I believe that this special watch is called for at this time when most Filipinos are now in such a frenzy over the coming elections.

Booking Online on Philippine Airlines Using Credit Card

from Philippine Airlines policy:

Successful completion of a transaction means that the credit card owner binds himself and the passenger(s) to the Terms and Conditions for online transactions, General Conditions of Carriage and the applicable Fare Rules.

To avoid fraudulent transactions and to protect credit card owners, PAL reserves the right to require that the credit card used in purchasing the ticket(s) online be presented at the ticket collection point, upon check-in or in cases of reissuance, rebooking or refund of a ticket.

If the credit card owner is not part of the travelling party and is unable to present the credit card used, PAL also reserves the right to require the presentation of clear photocopies of the front of the credit card and the valid PHOTO ID of the credit card owner at the ticket collection point, upon check-in and in cases of reissuance, rebooking and/or refund . It shall be the responsibility of the credit card owner to ensure that the passenger(s) comply with the requirement.

PAL reserves the right to deny boarding to passenger(s) or refuse to reissue, revalidate, rebook or refund a ticket for failure to comply with foregoing requirements.

Without prejudice to criminal prosecution under Republic Act No. 8484, PAL may cancel a confirmed reservation or may remove from any flight any passenger if PAL has reason to believe that a ticket(s) has been purchased using a fraudulent credit card.

Virtual credit cards are NOT accepted as form of payment as we may require the actual presentation of the credit card used online.

For check-in purposes, a valid PHOTO ID issued by the government or known corporations is required to enter the terminal.

The passenger(s) is required to arrive at Carrier's check-in location sufficiently in advance of the indicated flight departure time to permit completion of any government formalities and departure procedures and in any event not later than 45 minutes before the approximate departure time. If the passenger(s) fails to arrive on time at Carrier's check-in counter or boarding gate (even if the passenger(s) has already checked-in for the flight), Carrier may cancel the space reserved for the passenger(s). Carrier is not liable to the passenger(s) for loss or expense due to the passenger's failure to comply with these provisions.

Manny Pacquiao in Dubai UAE

The current pound-for-pound king in the world could not make it to the 'The Philippines vs. The Rest of the World' Dubai boxing event due to the fast-approaching May 10 elections. He was invited by the Dubai-based KO Promotions to grace the card.

The coming card features top ALA Gym fighters including Bohol's Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and Milan Melindo, according to an updated report from Cebu City.

Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao won't be going to Dubai as a guest of honor in the upcoming "Philippines vs. The Rest of the World" boxing event on April 23 at The Lodge.

Pacquiao, the current World Boxing Organization welterweight champion, was invited by Dubai-based promotional outfit KO Promotions to attend the event. However, the 31-year-old pound for-pound king chose to skip the event because he is busy campaigning for a congressional seat in the May 10 Philippine polls.

Pinoy Boxer Donito Donaire Jr vs Vic Darchinyan

Bohol's ring sensation - Nonito Donaire, Jr. has been warned by boxing  observers and fans here not to be over-confident in his coming grudge return bout with co-world champion Vic Darchinyan. The camp of Donaire Jr. has accepted the challenge of Darchinyan.

Despite the fact that no deal for the fight date has been sealed, WBC and WBA superflyweight champion Vic Darchinyan of Australia has continued with his verbal assaults against the man who handed him his only knockout loss, Nonito Donaire Jr., of the Philippines.  

Donaire (23-1,15 KOs) used a single left hook to the jaw in the fifth round to snatch Darchinyan's IBF flyweight crown in Connecticut three years ago. Connecticut three years ago. That fight was voted the 2007 Knockout and Upset of the Year and launched the Filipino Flash to boxing stardom. Donaire (34-2-1, 27 KOs) has vowed to destroy Donaire. For the past two years he has been ripping the Filipino in various interviews saying that "If I meet him again, I'm gonna break him," "He knows he got lucky and he wants nothing to do with fighting me" and that Donaire should be "taking a new job."

The rematch has been set on Aug. 7 at the at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles.

Korea and Bohol Philippines Business

Korean partners fueled up Gov. Erico Aumentado's bandwagon of development that grooms northeast Bohol as the multi-industry capital of the province or even the region.

The multi-industry cluster team of the Korean embassy came last Friday with officials of the Department of Science and Technology to check the status of the ongoing land preparation at the special economic zone in Talibon.

Man Hwan Park was, country representative of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of the Korea Export-Import Bank (Eximbank), came earlier on April 12 to relay the Korean government's full commitment to Bohol's progress during the birthday bash of Constantino Reyes- -runningmate of Ubay Mayor Eutiquio Bernales.

Park assured that the Korean government will pour multi-billion-peso projects to the second district under the multi-indutry cluster concept.

  

Philippines and Korea had signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the establishment of a multi-indutry cluster in May last this year during the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. - Bohol Chronicle

Philippine Elections 2010

With less than a month before the Philippine national elections, it's understandable that you and other members of Jose Carillo's English Forum might want some leeway to talk in the Forum about your respective choices for president and vice president. The Forum's Lounge section is therefore opening a window of opportunity for you to do so for the rest of the official campaign period. In keeping with the Forum's nonpolitical and nonpartisan nature, however, please confine your commentary within the bounds of thoughtful, intelligent, and civilized discourse—and in proper English, please. Feel free to endorse your chosen candidates and justify your choice; do so now before it's too late for your opinion to matter! 

Even as most everybody gets preoccupied with the election campaign, however, the Forum remains steadfast in its advocacy for good English. For this week's edition, I have critiqued three instances of highly questionable English usage in three of the major Philippine broadsheets. And for your time out from English grammar, the Forum takes a peep at four recent biographies showing the seamier, even shocking side of the iconic Mahatma Gandhi and of three literary greats in English—Charles Dickens, John Cheever, and V.S. Naipaul.  

Davao City Water Issue

April 12, 2010 

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MANAGEMENT

Davao City Water District

Bajada, Davao City 

Dear DCWD Board and Mgt., 

Kalinaw! 

Kami nagasulat kaninyo isip grupo nga nag-uban kaninyo sa pagbabag sa proyekto sa Hedcor diha sa sapa sa Tamugan-Panigan ug sa pagpasabot sa kadaghan sa paghatag ug prioridad sa paggamit sa tubig sa Tamugan-Panigan isip ilimnon sa dakbayan, dili sa enerhiya. 

Nagkauban kita ug nag-inunongay alang sa usa ka multi-sectoral nga kalihukan aron batukan ang plano sa Hedcor sa Tamugan-Panigan River. Gisagubang ang kainint sa adlaw, kagutom ug bisan asa kita miduol aron mohangyo sa ilang suporta kay lagi dili kita mosugot nga among-amongan ang tinubdan sa tubig nga mao ang naghatag ug kinabuhi sa tanang nilalang. Daghan gyod kita ug na-agian nga kalisod. 

Apan dako ang among kahikuhat ug natingala kami sa dihang migula sa mga mantala-an ang inyong pagkasabot sa Hedcor aron maundang ang bangi taliwala kanila ug sa DCWD. Dili kami mopugong sa inyong desisyon basta dili lang madehado ang katawhan ug kinaiyahan, apan gamay nga respeto lang unta sa mga sector nga inyong "gigamit" aron babagan ang Hedcor. Simpleng konsultasyon lang unta una ang final agreement ninyo sa Hedcor. Nag-uban god ta sa kalisdanan, unta sa kalamposan pod magkuyog ta. 

Nahiubos gyod kami kay mora lang mi og potos nga gibiyaan sa daplin kay nakita na ninyo ang kahayag luyo sa kangit-ngit. 

Busa aron dili molawom pag-ayo ang kahiubos sa mga sector nga inyong "gigamit", ma-ayo tingali nga mopatawag ang DCWD ug usa ka multi-sectoral forum aron didto iyag-yag ang mga pagbati nga may garas sa kahiubos aron pod mahibalik ang maayong relasyon taliwala sa DCWD ug sa mga stakeholders. 

Nanghinaot kami sa inyong aksiyon. Daghang Salamat 

 

Kaninyo matinahuron, 

 

KAWAL TUBIG

    * Boy Deduro (Fisherfolk sector)

    * Tom Villarin (SIMCARRD)

    * Lia Jasmin Esquillo (IDIS)

    * Atty. Mon Salas (Saligan)

    * Dr. Jean Lindo (KAABAY)

    * Dags Magaway (MAAS)

    * Anita Morales (METSA)

    * Atty. Jenny Ramos

    * Norma Javellana (Brgy. Maa Federation of Homeowners Asscn, Inc)

    * Akbayan

    * FDC

Catholic Bishops in the Philippines Criticized Over Banana Issue

We, members of the Alternative Law Groups, Inc. (ALG) in Mindanao, express our disappointment with the Joint Pastoral Statement made by the Bishops of Davao, Digos, Tagum and Mati  (DADITAMA) on the issue of Aerial Spraying.

The DADITAMA Bishops believe that there are no sufficient data to warrant total ban on aerial spraying, but at the same time indicated of the need to avoid future harmful effects in the use of fungicides. Conveniently, the statement chose to ignore the evidence of the harmful effects of aerial spraying practice as found by government agencies, local government units and civil society.

The Department of Health (DOH), a government agency on health issues and concerns, found that pesticide aerial spraying is harmful and recommends its ban. The Commission on Human Rights (CHR), an independent Constitutional body, found enough reason to recommend a ban on aerial spraying as it violates people's right to health and the environment. The LGUs of Davao City, Bukidnon and Cotabato sought to ban it through their respective ordinances. Local groups and international networks called for an immediate ban of this practice. Even their fellow Bishops in Luzon and Catholic Bishops worldwide found the issue as a moral one as the aerial spray practice infringes upon human health and dignity.

Amidst all these support for the aerial spray ban, our dear Bishops chose to side with the plantation owners and the interest of the banana industry to continue this debilitating practice of pesticide aerial spraying. We are puzzled with their concern with hard data, when the legal and scientific communities always cite Precautionary Principle in environmental laws to enact drastic measures to prevent harm. This principle states that whenever there are threats of serious and irreversible damage to the environment, lack of scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation. Banning aerial spraying is an adequate precautionary measure before degradation to people's health and environment becomes really irreversible and a serious issue.

But the DADITAMA Bishops should also look at the issue as a moral one as the Church always refers to morality as a sacred principle in its stand on issues, and not only on the evidence. Children going to school have to take cover so as not to be showered by the substances released from an aerial spraying plane. Families have to cover their food because of the drift reaching their homes. Farmers have to watch their crops destroyed as it wilts from contact with the substance coming from the planes. Women have to fetch from another source as the water from their wells after an aerial spray activity becomes tangy. And there are other stories of women and men suffering from itchiness, coughing and other health problems due to contact with the drift of aerial spraying. The stories of these simple people, while might not stand the scrutiny of science, are based on their own personal experience and show clear violation of their morality and human dignity.

As an alternative law group working in partnership with local communities, we seek your compassion to hear the voices in these communities. We appeal to your sense of mercy and morality and see if what they suffered are not violations of their dignity and well-being as humans. The communities near and living in the borders of these plantations only deserve the protection of the Church, which the Davao Bishops failed to provide. But in the end, the people themselves must be empowered to take action to protect their right to health and the environment. So help them God.

Balay Alternative Legal Advocates for the Development of Mindanaw (BALAOD Mindanaw)

Kaisahan Tungo sa Kaunlaran ng Kanayunan at Repormang Pansakahan (KAISAHAN)

Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan-Friends of the Earth (LRC-KSK-FOEI)

Tanggapan ng Katutubong Pilipino (PANLIPI)

Paglilingkod-Batas Pangkapatiran Foundation (PBPF)

Pilipina Legal Resources Center, Inc. (PLRC)

Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panligal (SALIGAN)

 

LIA JASMIN M. ESQUILLO

Executive Director

Interface Development Interventions (IDIS)

082-2994552

liajasmin@prime.net.ph

www.dirtybananas.org