The battle for the Senate presidency is on, with Senators Manuel "Manny" Villar Jr. of the Nacionalista Party and Francis Pangilinan of Liberal Party (LP) tightly competing for the support of their fellow senators.
Villar is seeking the support of the so-called deciding block in the Senate, led by Senator Edgardo Angara.
Joining Angara are Senators Miguel Zubiri, Loren Legarda, Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan, Manuel "Lito" Lapid, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., and Vicente "Tito" Sotto III.
They join the members of the Senate who are already Villar allies: Senators Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., Miriam Defensor Santiago, and Joker Arroyo.
Among these senators, Villar is said to be already certain of the support of Legarda, his running mate in the May polls.
Angara said Villar has been in talks with their group for quite some time.
But Angara's group will not make a decision, until it has talked to Pangilinan.
Angara added party affiliations will not be a factor in their decision.
Meanwhile, Senator Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada confirmed he has signed a resolution supporting Pangilinan.
It is likely Pangilinan will also get the support of Estrada's party-mate, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
If Pangilinan gets Enrile's support, he will have a total of 9 senators backing his bid.
These include his LP party-mates, Senators Frank Drilon, Teofisto "TG" Guingona III and Ralph Recto, and their allies, Senators Serge Osmeña, Francis "Chiz" Escudero and Estrada.
Villar, meanwhile, has seven votes.
While the battle for the Senate Presidency is tight, Quezon City Representative Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte Jr. is almost sure to get the House Speakership.
Quezon 4th district Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III said over 150 congressmen have already pledged their support for Belmonte
Belmonte, being in the LP, is also the bet of President Benigno Aquino III.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The race for the Senate presidency
Senator Edgardo J. Angara and the so-called "Magnificent 7," his bloc in the Senate, have yet to choose whom to back for the Senate presidency.
The seven -- Senators Angara, Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Loren Legarda, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Lito Lapid, Gregorio Honasan, Vicente "Tito" Sotto III -- say, the Senate cannot have a president who is too close to the incumbent president.
"We have not made up our mind," Angara says in an interview with ANC's Rundown on Monday night. "Whether we're 6 or 2 or 4, that's going to be a crucial number."
Seen to be a deciding force in the choice for the next Senate president, Angara says their group is looking for key qualifications in a candidate, such as autonomy and openness to reform.
"That's the outlook of every senator, that autonomy is uppermost. We're looking for a leader who will defend and uphold that independence," Angara says. "If we don't move to change and we don't have political will, we stagnate. And we don't want to be an obstructionist."
Liberal Party (LP) bet Francis Pangilinan and the Nacionalista Party's Manny Villar are both in the running, each of them trying to muster the needed 13 votes to clinch the top Senate seat.
Angara says Senator Legarda seems inclined to support Villar, her running mate in the 2010 elections.
Angara adds Senator Sotto has committed to support the choice of his Senate bloc. Sotto and Honasan have also made a pact to vote as one.
Personal appeal
Pangilinan, who assures he will follow the rule on separation of powers and uphold the autonomy of the Senate over the executive, is counting on allies of President Aquino to back his bid.
Angara now says Pangilinan may have to make it a personal appeal to senators.
"I'm more concerned about the set-up where we've got a leader who'll lead reform in the Senate. So I'll suggest to Kiko, after we talk, I'll talk to my group but better that you talk directly to every single one of them."
Short of urging the ruling party to withdraw its own candidate, Angara calls on President Aquino to reach out to all political parties.
"President Noynoy must do a Lincoln," Angara says, referring to the 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln. "The secret of Lincoln, that's why he became very successful, he managed the Civil War and yet succeeded in unifying the nation, freeing slaves. When he won, he recruited his rivals."
A third candidate?
Amid the race between Villar and Pangilinan comes another prospect, that of a third candidate for Senate president, possibly rising to break any stand-off.
Angara believes, in the event of a tight race between Villar and Pangilinan, there may just be room for re-elected Senator Juan Ponce Enrile to make his own bid for the top Senate seat.
"He never solicited support from any of us," Angara says. "We don't want a vacuum to occur, a vacuum could happen if two sides stuck to their guns and no one crosses over. That's an occasion when a person of prominence like Enrile might emerge as a compromise. Then all bets are off."
The seven -- Senators Angara, Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Loren Legarda, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Lito Lapid, Gregorio Honasan, Vicente "Tito" Sotto III -- say, the Senate cannot have a president who is too close to the incumbent president.
"We have not made up our mind," Angara says in an interview with ANC's Rundown on Monday night. "Whether we're 6 or 2 or 4, that's going to be a crucial number."
Seen to be a deciding force in the choice for the next Senate president, Angara says their group is looking for key qualifications in a candidate, such as autonomy and openness to reform.
"That's the outlook of every senator, that autonomy is uppermost. We're looking for a leader who will defend and uphold that independence," Angara says. "If we don't move to change and we don't have political will, we stagnate. And we don't want to be an obstructionist."
Liberal Party (LP) bet Francis Pangilinan and the Nacionalista Party's Manny Villar are both in the running, each of them trying to muster the needed 13 votes to clinch the top Senate seat.
Angara says Senator Legarda seems inclined to support Villar, her running mate in the 2010 elections.
Angara adds Senator Sotto has committed to support the choice of his Senate bloc. Sotto and Honasan have also made a pact to vote as one.
Personal appeal
Pangilinan, who assures he will follow the rule on separation of powers and uphold the autonomy of the Senate over the executive, is counting on allies of President Aquino to back his bid.
Angara now says Pangilinan may have to make it a personal appeal to senators.
"I'm more concerned about the set-up where we've got a leader who'll lead reform in the Senate. So I'll suggest to Kiko, after we talk, I'll talk to my group but better that you talk directly to every single one of them."
Short of urging the ruling party to withdraw its own candidate, Angara calls on President Aquino to reach out to all political parties.
"President Noynoy must do a Lincoln," Angara says, referring to the 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln. "The secret of Lincoln, that's why he became very successful, he managed the Civil War and yet succeeded in unifying the nation, freeing slaves. When he won, he recruited his rivals."
A third candidate?
Amid the race between Villar and Pangilinan comes another prospect, that of a third candidate for Senate president, possibly rising to break any stand-off.
Angara believes, in the event of a tight race between Villar and Pangilinan, there may just be room for re-elected Senator Juan Ponce Enrile to make his own bid for the top Senate seat.
"He never solicited support from any of us," Angara says. "We don't want a vacuum to occur, a vacuum could happen if two sides stuck to their guns and no one crosses over. That's an occasion when a person of prominence like Enrile might emerge as a compromise. Then all bets are off."
Thursday, January 20, 2011
PNoy endorsing Mar for president in 2016?
President Benigno Aquino III asked his party mates in the Liberal Party (LP) to "help" his defeated running mate former Senator Mar Roxas in 2016.
The President's statement, made on Wednesday night at a gathering in Malacañang, was seen as a subtle endorsement of a possible bid by Roxas in the next presidential elections.
"Sana tulungan niyo ang katabi ko para sa 2016 (I hope you help the one next to me in 2016)," said the president, who was beside Roxas during the LP fellowship.
Earlier on Wednesday, Roxas retained the presidency of the Liberal Party.
Aquino also justified his decision to tap Roxas as "troubleshooter."
Party sources said the President has long promised to back a Roxas presidential bid to repay his earlier "sacrifice" of foregoing his own presidential ambitions to give way to Aquino.
The President's statement, made on Wednesday night at a gathering in Malacañang, was seen as a subtle endorsement of a possible bid by Roxas in the next presidential elections.
"Sana tulungan niyo ang katabi ko para sa 2016 (I hope you help the one next to me in 2016)," said the president, who was beside Roxas during the LP fellowship.
Earlier on Wednesday, Roxas retained the presidency of the Liberal Party.
Aquino also justified his decision to tap Roxas as "troubleshooter."
Party sources said the President has long promised to back a Roxas presidential bid to repay his earlier "sacrifice" of foregoing his own presidential ambitions to give way to Aquino.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Roxas: Call me the President's water boy
Defeated vice-presidential candidate Mar Roxas shrugs off the importance of his role in the Aquino administration.
He described his job merely as the President Benigno Aquino's water boy who runs errands for the President and follows his orders. "Water boy, water boy lang yun.. kung ano lang iutos," he said after Aquino's statement that Roxas will be one of his chief troubleshooters.
Roxas said he is just helping President Aquino in whatever capacity.
Aquino earlier said he will tap Roxas's services in an official capacity when the one-year ban against appointing losing candidates in the elections ends.
The president did not name the exact position he will give to Roxas, saying the defeated vice-presidential bet will serve as one of his top “troubleshooters.”
“I-the-thresh out pa ang details. It will take effect June 30, yung end of the ban. Pero I will really be tapping his expertise on so many aspects. He might be one of my chief troubleshooters. If there’s something that needs more intense attention, I might ask him to do that, if he is willing,” President Aquino told reporters after hosting the traditional New Year’s vin d’ honneur in Malacañang.
Roxas, however, downplayed his role saying there's nothing to fix in the Aquino Cabinet.
"Wala namang trouble eh. Napaka-husay ng takbo ng gobyerno kaya kung ano man lang ang iutos ng Pilipino ay tutulong tayo. Lahat tayo ay interesado at tutulong sa tagumpay ng gobyerno ni Pangulong Aquino," he said.
He described his job merely as the President Benigno Aquino's water boy who runs errands for the President and follows his orders. "Water boy, water boy lang yun.. kung ano lang iutos," he said after Aquino's statement that Roxas will be one of his chief troubleshooters.
Roxas said he is just helping President Aquino in whatever capacity.
Aquino earlier said he will tap Roxas's services in an official capacity when the one-year ban against appointing losing candidates in the elections ends.
The president did not name the exact position he will give to Roxas, saying the defeated vice-presidential bet will serve as one of his top “troubleshooters.”
“I-the-thresh out pa ang details. It will take effect June 30, yung end of the ban. Pero I will really be tapping his expertise on so many aspects. He might be one of my chief troubleshooters. If there’s something that needs more intense attention, I might ask him to do that, if he is willing,” President Aquino told reporters after hosting the traditional New Year’s vin d’ honneur in Malacañang.
Roxas, however, downplayed his role saying there's nothing to fix in the Aquino Cabinet.
"Wala namang trouble eh. Napaka-husay ng takbo ng gobyerno kaya kung ano man lang ang iutos ng Pilipino ay tutulong tayo. Lahat tayo ay interesado at tutulong sa tagumpay ng gobyerno ni Pangulong Aquino," he said.
Oust-Roxas plot in LP parried
The President’s "chief troubleshooter" is no longer in trouble with his partymates, for now.
Malacañan and House Speaker Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte shot down attempts by allies to replace former senator Mar Roxas as head of the administration Liberal Party.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said: “Roxas remains chairman of the party. There’s no reason for him to be replaced.”
In a separate text message, Belmonte said: “ I am 100 percent Mar Roxas.”
Laciera and Belmonte were separately sought for comment on attempts by Belmonte’s recruits from the Lakas-Kampi CMD to oust Roxas as LP chairman.
Belmonte brought at least 41 congressmen into LP in the run up to the May 2010 presidential election.
LP 1st termer, Quezon City Rep. Winnie Castelo, said Belmonte has a very good chance of unseating Roxas if elections were held within the party since Belmonte brought many of them in.
He said factions within the party are pushing for Belmonte to prevent Roxas from using the party for his future campaigns, possibly for senator in 2013 and President in 2016.
"Belmonte has no intention to run for president while Mar has desire to run for president….There are some quarters pushing for presidency of Speaker Sonny Belmonte because with advent of speakership elections and speaker Belmonte recruited a big chunk of LPs into LP bloc, fresh, new LPs also wanted to push him as next president," the congressman said.
Castelo, however, said Belmonte is not likely to be drawn into an election confrontation with Roxas and will only accept the party presidency with Roxas’ consent.
“The Speaker will not go against Mar Roxas as president unless given to him," he said.
The Quezon City congressman said this is part of the party’s preparations for the next elections, saying whoever tops the 2013 senatorial elections will be the frontrunner for the 2016 presidential elections.
“Whoever number 1 senator will be strongest contender for presidency. Toss up between Chiz (Francis Escudero) and Mar and other personalities. Whoever will garner highest votes sa Senate will be serious for presidency. Ngayon pa lang may intramurals na," he said.
Malacañan and House Speaker Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte shot down attempts by allies to replace former senator Mar Roxas as head of the administration Liberal Party.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said: “Roxas remains chairman of the party. There’s no reason for him to be replaced.”
In a separate text message, Belmonte said: “ I am 100 percent Mar Roxas.”
Laciera and Belmonte were separately sought for comment on attempts by Belmonte’s recruits from the Lakas-Kampi CMD to oust Roxas as LP chairman.
Belmonte brought at least 41 congressmen into LP in the run up to the May 2010 presidential election.
LP 1st termer, Quezon City Rep. Winnie Castelo, said Belmonte has a very good chance of unseating Roxas if elections were held within the party since Belmonte brought many of them in.
He said factions within the party are pushing for Belmonte to prevent Roxas from using the party for his future campaigns, possibly for senator in 2013 and President in 2016.
"Belmonte has no intention to run for president while Mar has desire to run for president….There are some quarters pushing for presidency of Speaker Sonny Belmonte because with advent of speakership elections and speaker Belmonte recruited a big chunk of LPs into LP bloc, fresh, new LPs also wanted to push him as next president," the congressman said.
Castelo, however, said Belmonte is not likely to be drawn into an election confrontation with Roxas and will only accept the party presidency with Roxas’ consent.
“The Speaker will not go against Mar Roxas as president unless given to him," he said.
The Quezon City congressman said this is part of the party’s preparations for the next elections, saying whoever tops the 2013 senatorial elections will be the frontrunner for the 2016 presidential elections.
“Whoever number 1 senator will be strongest contender for presidency. Toss up between Chiz (Francis Escudero) and Mar and other personalities. Whoever will garner highest votes sa Senate will be serious for presidency. Ngayon pa lang may intramurals na," he said.
No accord in Binay-Roxas poll protest meet
No common issue or common ground was agreed upon by the parties of former vice presidential bet Manuel "Mar" Roxas and Vice President Jejomar Binay during the preliminary conference of the electoral protest lodged by the losing candidate on Monday.
Roxas, represented by lead counsel Joe Tenefrancia, contended that the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) should first subject the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines, Automated Election System (AES) source code and Compact Flash (CF) cards to forensic examination before the retrieval of ballot boxes should be ordered by the Tribunal for the revision/recount of votes.
Tenefrancia also asked for another Random Manual Audit (RMA) of election results in more than the 1,145 clustered precincts nationwide already covered by the RMA.
Tenefrancia held that these were necessary in order to make sure that the automated election results were accurate and credible.
"We are saying that the system itself is flawed and therefore the need for the forensic examination and the more comprehensive Random Manual Audit. We pray that before the revision, forensic analysis should be done first by independent technical experts and that an RMA should be conducted with greater sample size and better manner of selecting samples," Tenefrancia said.
Atty. Felicitas Arroyo, lead counsel for Binay, however, objected to the Roxas camp's pleadings insisting that the conduct of forensic examination and RMA were not part of the 2010 Rules of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) and therefore something that the Tribunal cannot do.
"What the protestant wants us to do now is to invite the PET to do a surgery on a cadaver, to resuscitate a corpse, and reassign the position of organs to suit their purpose! They don't have the facts that such irregularities happened and throwing the burden on the PET because they have not built their case," Arroyo told Hearing Commissioner Bernardo Pardo, who was designated by the Supreme Court sitting as the PET to hear the preliminary conference.
"If we were to allow the PET to oblige the invitation of protestant, we are actually inviting the Court to commit a violation of its very Rules which cannot be sanctioned by the Constitution," Arroyo said.
To this, Pardo asked Arroyo if she was referrring to the absence of Cause of Action for the protest, to which Arroyo said "Yes, Your Honor".
For his part, Hearing Commissioner Pardo told Roxas' counsel that asking the PET to first conduct forensic examination of the AES as well as an RMA would delay the process, which is "beneficial to the other side who is already sitting".
Specifically on the RMA, Pardo also commented that it can only be done by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in accordance with Republic Act 9369, more commonly known as the automation law. Pardo, meantime, told Binay's counsel that her pleading for the PET to require Roxas to pay a cash deposit of at least P135 million for the revision/recount of votes may not be necessary at this time since each of the parties deposited an initial P200,000, which is not yet depleted.
Among issues the parties failed to agree upon was the issue of witnesses common to both their protest and counter-protest including, but not limited to, COMELEC officials and SMARTMATIC officers.
The issues raised by the Roxas camp include::
* "high incidence" of "null votes" which total 2,612,207 in areas where Roxas won and less in areas where Binay won
* delays in the preparations of the COMELEC and SMARTMATIC-TIM;
* errors in the configuration of CF cards nationwide a week before the May 10 polls leading to their subsequent recall and reconfiguration;
* erroneous storing of results of the Final Testing and Sealing process of the PCOS machines in the backup CF card by the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI); transmission of said results to the Canvassing Centers and the subsequent official canvass of such results by the Board of Canvassers.
Issues raised by the Binay camp include::
* supposed "null votes" as claimed by Roxas camp not sufficient to affect the outcome of the polls as manifested in a Resolution by the Joint Canvassing Committee of both chambers of Congress;
* Binay Counter-protest limited to matters extraneous to the conduct of automated elections:vote-buying, disenfranchisement due to confusion of voters, illegal printing of ballots and election returns in localities;
* Binay Counter-protest specified areas:Aklan, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur.
Roxas was not present in the conference and had to enter a Special Power of Attorney authorizing his legal team to represent him. Binay meantime attended the proceeding but refused to be interviewed beyond saying both protestant and protestee have to be physically present.
Roxas, represented by lead counsel Joe Tenefrancia, contended that the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) should first subject the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines, Automated Election System (AES) source code and Compact Flash (CF) cards to forensic examination before the retrieval of ballot boxes should be ordered by the Tribunal for the revision/recount of votes.
Tenefrancia also asked for another Random Manual Audit (RMA) of election results in more than the 1,145 clustered precincts nationwide already covered by the RMA.
Tenefrancia held that these were necessary in order to make sure that the automated election results were accurate and credible.
"We are saying that the system itself is flawed and therefore the need for the forensic examination and the more comprehensive Random Manual Audit. We pray that before the revision, forensic analysis should be done first by independent technical experts and that an RMA should be conducted with greater sample size and better manner of selecting samples," Tenefrancia said.
Atty. Felicitas Arroyo, lead counsel for Binay, however, objected to the Roxas camp's pleadings insisting that the conduct of forensic examination and RMA were not part of the 2010 Rules of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) and therefore something that the Tribunal cannot do.
"What the protestant wants us to do now is to invite the PET to do a surgery on a cadaver, to resuscitate a corpse, and reassign the position of organs to suit their purpose! They don't have the facts that such irregularities happened and throwing the burden on the PET because they have not built their case," Arroyo told Hearing Commissioner Bernardo Pardo, who was designated by the Supreme Court sitting as the PET to hear the preliminary conference.
"If we were to allow the PET to oblige the invitation of protestant, we are actually inviting the Court to commit a violation of its very Rules which cannot be sanctioned by the Constitution," Arroyo said.
To this, Pardo asked Arroyo if she was referrring to the absence of Cause of Action for the protest, to which Arroyo said "Yes, Your Honor".
For his part, Hearing Commissioner Pardo told Roxas' counsel that asking the PET to first conduct forensic examination of the AES as well as an RMA would delay the process, which is "beneficial to the other side who is already sitting".
Specifically on the RMA, Pardo also commented that it can only be done by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in accordance with Republic Act 9369, more commonly known as the automation law. Pardo, meantime, told Binay's counsel that her pleading for the PET to require Roxas to pay a cash deposit of at least P135 million for the revision/recount of votes may not be necessary at this time since each of the parties deposited an initial P200,000, which is not yet depleted.
Among issues the parties failed to agree upon was the issue of witnesses common to both their protest and counter-protest including, but not limited to, COMELEC officials and SMARTMATIC officers.
The issues raised by the Roxas camp include::
* "high incidence" of "null votes" which total 2,612,207 in areas where Roxas won and less in areas where Binay won
* delays in the preparations of the COMELEC and SMARTMATIC-TIM;
* errors in the configuration of CF cards nationwide a week before the May 10 polls leading to their subsequent recall and reconfiguration;
* erroneous storing of results of the Final Testing and Sealing process of the PCOS machines in the backup CF card by the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI); transmission of said results to the Canvassing Centers and the subsequent official canvass of such results by the Board of Canvassers.
Issues raised by the Binay camp include::
* supposed "null votes" as claimed by Roxas camp not sufficient to affect the outcome of the polls as manifested in a Resolution by the Joint Canvassing Committee of both chambers of Congress;
* Binay Counter-protest limited to matters extraneous to the conduct of automated elections:vote-buying, disenfranchisement due to confusion of voters, illegal printing of ballots and election returns in localities;
* Binay Counter-protest specified areas:Aklan, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur.
Roxas was not present in the conference and had to enter a Special Power of Attorney authorizing his legal team to represent him. Binay meantime attended the proceeding but refused to be interviewed beyond saying both protestant and protestee have to be physically present.
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