Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Aquino optimistic to get support of Tacloban voters
Senator and presidential aspirant Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III arrived here Tuesday to campaign in the province ruled by the family and relatives of former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
Marcos is the wife of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, who was blamed for the death of the senator's father and namesake, martyred Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.
Marcos' son, Ilocos Norte Representative Ferdinand "Bong-Bong" Marcos Jr. is running for senator under the banner of Nacionalista Party’s bet Senator Manny Villar, known as Aquino's closest rival.
Senator Aquino said he isconfident of getting the support of residents here just like what they did when they voted for him in the 2007 senatorial race.
"Ah maganda ho resulta natin dito sa Tacloban noong senatorial election (The result here in Tacloban when we ran in the senatorial elections was good). Maganda ho ang pagtanggap sa atin noong senatorial race (The support for us here during the senatorial race was good) and I expect the same or even more," he told reporters when he arrived here shortly before 4:00 p.m.
The senator was accompanied by his running mate, Senator Mar Roxas.
"Tayo po ay nandito, susuyo sa ating mga kapatid sa Leyte (We are here to court our brothers in Leyte)," he said.
The tandem was about two hours behind the scheduled arrival of 1: 40 pm, citing some unexpected occurrences while campaigning in another city here.
Actor Richard Gomez, an LP member, was among those, who received Aquino and Roxas at the airport.
Gomez is seeking a congressional seat as representative of Ormoc City but was disqualified by the Commission on Elections “for lack of residency requirements.”
Because of the delay, Aquino failed to show up in some radio interviews here. He proceeded instead to a press conference held at the Leyte Park Hotel.
The highlight of his campaign here would be a multi-sectoral forum with businessmen in the evening to be held at the Asia Convention Center.
Asked by a reporter why there was no political rally in his schedule, Aquino explained that this would take more time than going to local radio stations or television to reach the masses.
"Babalik kami dito pagdating ng local elections pero ang tinatarget kasi namin (We will return during the local campaign period but what we are targeting is) something like 27 provinces in three weeks and to try and mazimize the reach and to maximize the reach, you will have to go through media either radio or TV or both," he said.
"Dahil pag nag rally tayo mahaba na oras na kakailanganin po nun, hindi makakaya ang 27 provinces maski tig-iisang rally po yun at di maabot ang mga botanteng gustong maabot (Because if we hold a rally, it will take longer and we can't cover 27 provinces even if we hold only one rally. We cannot reach the voters that we want to reach)," he further said.
Marcos is the wife of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, who was blamed for the death of the senator's father and namesake, martyred Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.
Marcos' son, Ilocos Norte Representative Ferdinand "Bong-Bong" Marcos Jr. is running for senator under the banner of Nacionalista Party’s bet Senator Manny Villar, known as Aquino's closest rival.
Senator Aquino said he isconfident of getting the support of residents here just like what they did when they voted for him in the 2007 senatorial race.
"Ah maganda ho resulta natin dito sa Tacloban noong senatorial election (The result here in Tacloban when we ran in the senatorial elections was good). Maganda ho ang pagtanggap sa atin noong senatorial race (The support for us here during the senatorial race was good) and I expect the same or even more," he told reporters when he arrived here shortly before 4:00 p.m.
The senator was accompanied by his running mate, Senator Mar Roxas.
"Tayo po ay nandito, susuyo sa ating mga kapatid sa Leyte (We are here to court our brothers in Leyte)," he said.
The tandem was about two hours behind the scheduled arrival of 1: 40 pm, citing some unexpected occurrences while campaigning in another city here.
Actor Richard Gomez, an LP member, was among those, who received Aquino and Roxas at the airport.
Gomez is seeking a congressional seat as representative of Ormoc City but was disqualified by the Commission on Elections “for lack of residency requirements.”
Because of the delay, Aquino failed to show up in some radio interviews here. He proceeded instead to a press conference held at the Leyte Park Hotel.
The highlight of his campaign here would be a multi-sectoral forum with businessmen in the evening to be held at the Asia Convention Center.
Asked by a reporter why there was no political rally in his schedule, Aquino explained that this would take more time than going to local radio stations or television to reach the masses.
"Babalik kami dito pagdating ng local elections pero ang tinatarget kasi namin (We will return during the local campaign period but what we are targeting is) something like 27 provinces in three weeks and to try and mazimize the reach and to maximize the reach, you will have to go through media either radio or TV or both," he said.
"Dahil pag nag rally tayo mahaba na oras na kakailanganin po nun, hindi makakaya ang 27 provinces maski tig-iisang rally po yun at di maabot ang mga botanteng gustong maabot (Because if we hold a rally, it will take longer and we can't cover 27 provinces even if we hold only one rally. We cannot reach the voters that we want to reach)," he further said.
Gordon says Villar tried to buy him out of race
Sen. Richard Gordon on Tuesday accused fellow presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Villar of attempting to bribe him to withdraw from the race.
In an interview on ANC's Top Story, Gordon said Villar sent an emissary recently and offered him a Cabinet position and reimbursement of his campaign expenses in exchange for backing out of the presidential race.
Elaborating on the incident, Gordon said the alleged bribe try happened last week of January at the height of the Senate Committee of the Whole's report recommending the censure of Villar for unethical conduct in connection with the C-5 road project.
He said the objective of the Villar camp was to convince him to side with them so that they would be able to oust Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile as Senate president and stop the Senate plenary deliberations on the ethics case.
Gordon said the emissary was a "former Cabinet official of yesteryears," and a "businessman, not a political operator." He said the emissary was "just trying to be a friend to his friend" and was just "delivering a message" for Villar.
He said the lunch meeting was held in his house, and he later told his daughter and wife about the alleged bribe try. "They were chagrined about it," he added.
"Quite frankly, I was [also] put off by it," Gordon said.
Gordon said he is convinced it was a bribe and "I am prepared to say it." He also said that he may reveal the emissary "at the proper time."
Asked why he only disclosed the bribe try during the presidential campaign, Gordon said he really had no intention of revealing it since he had promised that he would not tell.
'Fed up with use of money'
However, Gordon said it "just came off the cuff" during the radio interview Tuesday morning since he is fed up with Villar camp's propensity to use his money to get what he wants, including the presidency.
"I'm telling my friend, you can't buy everything," he said. "You can buy some of the people some of the time, but you can't buy all the people all of the time."
Gordon asked voters whether they want someone like Villar for president. He criticized the real estate tycoon for walking away from the C-5 case, refusing to be held accountable for his acts.
He said it's easy for Villar to deny the story since "he never admits to anything," noting that he refused to answer questions from his colleagues on the C-5 ethics case.
Gordon said he is in the presidential race because he wants to change society, and not simply to get a government post.
Asked if he had any proof, Gordon said: "I have my integrity against his [Villar's] integrity." He said he also has proof that the emissary was in his house.
When he met Sen. Enrile after the failed bribe try, Gordon said he even embraced Enrile since "we were able to obviate a coup d'etat."
Gordon also said it would be useless to file an ethics complaint against Villar in the Senate since the Villar camp will just use its money to avoid accountability.
Villar denies Gordon's allegations
In a statement, Villar denied bribing Gordon with a Cabinet post and reimbursement of campaign expenses in order to win him over on his Senate ethics case.
"Wala po akong ginagawang ganyan, wala po akong ino-offer na maski ako kahit kanino at mag-iingat po kayo. Meron pong mga tao na nanloloko at baka po kayo mabiktima," the NP bet said.
("I did not make such an offer. I did not offer anything and beware. There are people trying to fool you and you might be victimized."
Villar said he's running a clean campaign and that he respects all his opponents in the presidential race.
"Siguro po ay may mga gustong manira sa akin kaya nag-ooffer tapos ako itinuturo. Hindi po ako ganyan, wag po sana kayong maniniwala sa mga ganyan," he added.
("Perhaps, there are people who want to destroy me so they make an offer and then point to me. I am not like that, I wish you don't believe these people.")
Villar also said the campaign will soon come to a close and they are not expecting any of the candidates to withdraw anymore, with only two months to go before the polls.
He also denied asking El Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde to talk to former President Joseph Estrada to withdraw.
"Wala akong kinakausap...Maski tanungin natin ang lahat ng aking mga nasa planning group, associates, makikita niyo na lahat na meron na akong assumption lahat kami ay andiyan," he said.
Villar said he has become the focus of the attacks since it only means that he is already leading the race.
He also urged Gordon and Estrada to name the alleged emissaries.
"Dapat sasabihin na para malaman naman na wala talaga akong inuutusan na ganyan. At unang-una, wala naman na akong ganyang pera na. Ang aking natitirang budget ay para lamang sa aking kampanya at tamang-tama lamang ito," Villar said.
("They should identify the emissary so people will find out I did not order him to do that. And in the first place, I don't have that kind of money. What's left in my budget is just right for my campaign.")
'Pure hogwash, preposterous'
Nacionalista Party senatorial bet and Villar spokesman Gilbert Remulla dismissed Gordon's allegations as hogwash and nothing more than an attempt to latch on to Villar's growing popularity and create publicity for himself.
"We are wondering why Sen. Gordon didn't blame Sen. Villar for the earthquake in Chile. It's ridiculous and preposterous, all these allegations against Sen. Villar, and we believe it's going to get worse," Remulla said in an ANC interview.
"We don't really care what Gordon says. He can say anything he wants. As far as we are concerned, whatever he said doesn't matter because none of it is true. He can talks all he wants. This is pure hogwash. This is just a way for him to get his name out in the papers and to destroy the name of Sen. Villar," he added.
Remulla said Villar's campaign is running smoothly as evidenced by the last presidential survey by Pulse Asia, which showed him at a statistical tie with Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. "To offer anything to anyone at this point would be ridiculous for us to do," he said. (Read: Aquino, Villar tied in Pulse Asia survey)
He noted that even if Gordon were to withdraw, his votes would not automatically go to Villar.
Gordon is the second presidential bet to claim being offered money by a rival to quit the presidential election.
Erap also got offers to withdraw
Last Tuesday, former President Joseph Estrada revealed that he has received offers to withdraw from the presidential race in exchange for a large amount of cash from a rival candidate. (Read: Erap reveals 'bribe' try to back out of race)
Estrada said some go-betweens have been talking to him for the past 9 months trying to convince him to withdraw. In exchange, the go-between's principal will then reimburse his expenses incurred in the campaign.
Estrada refused to name the candidate making the alleged bribe offer. "I can't [say]. That's deniable. But probably, it's someone who has lots of money," he said.
From 50-point deficit to parity
Regarding Estrada's allegation, Remulla said the former president did not name Villar as the one who offered a bribe. He said Villar did not need Estrada's votes to win the election and said that if the former president withdrew, his votes would be split and would not automatically go to Villar.
Remulla said Villar's surging popularity in the presidential race has made him a target by various camps. He said this was evidenced by the frequent bribery allegations, including the one leveled by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile during the C-5 'double insertion' probe. (Read: Enrile claims Villar tried to buy him off)
"I think they are trying to make it appear that Senator Villar is desperate but that's the farthest thing. We crawled back from a 50-point deficit in September to parity right now without having to bribe anybody and to resort to negative campaigning. We have not said anything against anybody unless we have been provoked. It is clear that all our rivals are threatened by Senator Villar," he said.
In an interview on ANC's Top Story, Gordon said Villar sent an emissary recently and offered him a Cabinet position and reimbursement of his campaign expenses in exchange for backing out of the presidential race.
Elaborating on the incident, Gordon said the alleged bribe try happened last week of January at the height of the Senate Committee of the Whole's report recommending the censure of Villar for unethical conduct in connection with the C-5 road project.
He said the objective of the Villar camp was to convince him to side with them so that they would be able to oust Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile as Senate president and stop the Senate plenary deliberations on the ethics case.
Gordon said the emissary was a "former Cabinet official of yesteryears," and a "businessman, not a political operator." He said the emissary was "just trying to be a friend to his friend" and was just "delivering a message" for Villar.
He said the lunch meeting was held in his house, and he later told his daughter and wife about the alleged bribe try. "They were chagrined about it," he added.
"Quite frankly, I was [also] put off by it," Gordon said.
Gordon said he is convinced it was a bribe and "I am prepared to say it." He also said that he may reveal the emissary "at the proper time."
Asked why he only disclosed the bribe try during the presidential campaign, Gordon said he really had no intention of revealing it since he had promised that he would not tell.
'Fed up with use of money'
However, Gordon said it "just came off the cuff" during the radio interview Tuesday morning since he is fed up with Villar camp's propensity to use his money to get what he wants, including the presidency.
"I'm telling my friend, you can't buy everything," he said. "You can buy some of the people some of the time, but you can't buy all the people all of the time."
Gordon asked voters whether they want someone like Villar for president. He criticized the real estate tycoon for walking away from the C-5 case, refusing to be held accountable for his acts.
He said it's easy for Villar to deny the story since "he never admits to anything," noting that he refused to answer questions from his colleagues on the C-5 ethics case.
Gordon said he is in the presidential race because he wants to change society, and not simply to get a government post.
Asked if he had any proof, Gordon said: "I have my integrity against his [Villar's] integrity." He said he also has proof that the emissary was in his house.
When he met Sen. Enrile after the failed bribe try, Gordon said he even embraced Enrile since "we were able to obviate a coup d'etat."
Gordon also said it would be useless to file an ethics complaint against Villar in the Senate since the Villar camp will just use its money to avoid accountability.
Villar denies Gordon's allegations
In a statement, Villar denied bribing Gordon with a Cabinet post and reimbursement of campaign expenses in order to win him over on his Senate ethics case.
"Wala po akong ginagawang ganyan, wala po akong ino-offer na maski ako kahit kanino at mag-iingat po kayo. Meron pong mga tao na nanloloko at baka po kayo mabiktima," the NP bet said.
("I did not make such an offer. I did not offer anything and beware. There are people trying to fool you and you might be victimized."
Villar said he's running a clean campaign and that he respects all his opponents in the presidential race.
"Siguro po ay may mga gustong manira sa akin kaya nag-ooffer tapos ako itinuturo. Hindi po ako ganyan, wag po sana kayong maniniwala sa mga ganyan," he added.
("Perhaps, there are people who want to destroy me so they make an offer and then point to me. I am not like that, I wish you don't believe these people.")
Villar also said the campaign will soon come to a close and they are not expecting any of the candidates to withdraw anymore, with only two months to go before the polls.
He also denied asking El Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde to talk to former President Joseph Estrada to withdraw.
"Wala akong kinakausap...Maski tanungin natin ang lahat ng aking mga nasa planning group, associates, makikita niyo na lahat na meron na akong assumption lahat kami ay andiyan," he said.
Villar said he has become the focus of the attacks since it only means that he is already leading the race.
He also urged Gordon and Estrada to name the alleged emissaries.
"Dapat sasabihin na para malaman naman na wala talaga akong inuutusan na ganyan. At unang-una, wala naman na akong ganyang pera na. Ang aking natitirang budget ay para lamang sa aking kampanya at tamang-tama lamang ito," Villar said.
("They should identify the emissary so people will find out I did not order him to do that. And in the first place, I don't have that kind of money. What's left in my budget is just right for my campaign.")
'Pure hogwash, preposterous'
Nacionalista Party senatorial bet and Villar spokesman Gilbert Remulla dismissed Gordon's allegations as hogwash and nothing more than an attempt to latch on to Villar's growing popularity and create publicity for himself.
"We are wondering why Sen. Gordon didn't blame Sen. Villar for the earthquake in Chile. It's ridiculous and preposterous, all these allegations against Sen. Villar, and we believe it's going to get worse," Remulla said in an ANC interview.
"We don't really care what Gordon says. He can say anything he wants. As far as we are concerned, whatever he said doesn't matter because none of it is true. He can talks all he wants. This is pure hogwash. This is just a way for him to get his name out in the papers and to destroy the name of Sen. Villar," he added.
Remulla said Villar's campaign is running smoothly as evidenced by the last presidential survey by Pulse Asia, which showed him at a statistical tie with Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. "To offer anything to anyone at this point would be ridiculous for us to do," he said. (Read: Aquino, Villar tied in Pulse Asia survey)
He noted that even if Gordon were to withdraw, his votes would not automatically go to Villar.
Gordon is the second presidential bet to claim being offered money by a rival to quit the presidential election.
Erap also got offers to withdraw
Last Tuesday, former President Joseph Estrada revealed that he has received offers to withdraw from the presidential race in exchange for a large amount of cash from a rival candidate. (Read: Erap reveals 'bribe' try to back out of race)
Estrada said some go-betweens have been talking to him for the past 9 months trying to convince him to withdraw. In exchange, the go-between's principal will then reimburse his expenses incurred in the campaign.
Estrada refused to name the candidate making the alleged bribe offer. "I can't [say]. That's deniable. But probably, it's someone who has lots of money," he said.
From 50-point deficit to parity
Regarding Estrada's allegation, Remulla said the former president did not name Villar as the one who offered a bribe. He said Villar did not need Estrada's votes to win the election and said that if the former president withdrew, his votes would be split and would not automatically go to Villar.
Remulla said Villar's surging popularity in the presidential race has made him a target by various camps. He said this was evidenced by the frequent bribery allegations, including the one leveled by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile during the C-5 'double insertion' probe. (Read: Enrile claims Villar tried to buy him off)
"I think they are trying to make it appear that Senator Villar is desperate but that's the farthest thing. We crawled back from a 50-point deficit in September to parity right now without having to bribe anybody and to resort to negative campaigning. We have not said anything against anybody unless we have been provoked. It is clear that all our rivals are threatened by Senator Villar," he said.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Quiboloy : Double Registered Voter?
One of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's key spiritual advisers Pastor Apollo Quiboloy denied reports Monday that he is a voter with double registration.
The leader of the six-million followers of Kingdom of Jesus Christ The Name Above Every Name maintained that he is a registered voter in Barangay (village) Tamayong, Calinaw, Davao City since 1997 and has been voting there ever since.
In 2003, Quiboloy—who failed to vote in two previous elections—applied for validation of his voter registration in Barangay Buhangin, Davao City, which would enable him to vote again, where his church is located.
Quiboloy said in his statement that “under Comelec rules, a voter may apply for validation anywhere and not necessarily in the precinct where he or she is registered.”
In this light, Quiboloy stressed that his name “should have not come up in the list of voters with double registrations.”
"Pastor Quiboloy has never, at anytime, registered in Buhangin, Davao city nor has he voted there. Our documents show that Pastor Quiboloy has been voting only in Tamayong, Davao City," the statement read.
In a separate statement, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said the Comelec’s regional director in Davao researched their records and clarified that Quiboloy is not a double registrant.
The “mix-up” might have been a result of Quiboloy being a registered voter in Buhangin but having validation records in Tamayong, said the poll official.
Lawyer Howard Calleja of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), who said that Quiboloy was a double-registrant along with other 40,000 “zombie” voters, urged Comelec to be serious in cleansing the voters’ list.
Larrazabal explained the voter records with PPCRV could be not updated, since the purging of the voters’ list is a continuous process.
The leader of the six-million followers of Kingdom of Jesus Christ The Name Above Every Name maintained that he is a registered voter in Barangay (village) Tamayong, Calinaw, Davao City since 1997 and has been voting there ever since.
In 2003, Quiboloy—who failed to vote in two previous elections—applied for validation of his voter registration in Barangay Buhangin, Davao City, which would enable him to vote again, where his church is located.
Quiboloy said in his statement that “under Comelec rules, a voter may apply for validation anywhere and not necessarily in the precinct where he or she is registered.”
In this light, Quiboloy stressed that his name “should have not come up in the list of voters with double registrations.”
"Pastor Quiboloy has never, at anytime, registered in Buhangin, Davao city nor has he voted there. Our documents show that Pastor Quiboloy has been voting only in Tamayong, Davao City," the statement read.
In a separate statement, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said the Comelec’s regional director in Davao researched their records and clarified that Quiboloy is not a double registrant.
The “mix-up” might have been a result of Quiboloy being a registered voter in Buhangin but having validation records in Tamayong, said the poll official.
Lawyer Howard Calleja of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), who said that Quiboloy was a double-registrant along with other 40,000 “zombie” voters, urged Comelec to be serious in cleansing the voters’ list.
Larrazabal explained the voter records with PPCRV could be not updated, since the purging of the voters’ list is a continuous process.
Aquino Rally in Cebu
An estimated 60,000 people packed a venue here for the rally of Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, but a young supporter reiterating the youth’s clamor for change stole the show.
The rally, held at Cebu City Sports Center, was a show of force of sorts for the LP which is being supported by the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), a local party.
Leaders from various sectors—youth, senior citizens, vendors and urban poor—took turns declaring their support for Aquino.
Youth leader Erwin Andaya, chair of the Federation of the Supreme Student Councils of Cebu City, emerged to be the rally’s hit.
“I want to express the voice of the Cebuano youth, the voice that increasingly clamors for change and hope,” Andaya said, addressing Aquino and other LP leaders.
Andaya said Aquino should ignore survey results showing another candidate, apparently referring to Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Senator Manuel Villar, to be gaining ground.
“Remember, these numbers can be manipulated,” said Andaya. “I would like you to see these people gathered here tonight. Believe in them, believe in the numbers of the people who convened here tonight. This speaks for the truth.”
Ricky Ballesteros, who manages Cebu City Sports Center, said the crowd reached over 60,000, with the 15,000-capacity grandstand and the entire ground surrounding the stage fully occupied.
BOPK is the local party founded by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
Osmeña himself is not running for any position but has endorsed the mayoral candidacy of his vice mayor, Michael Rama. The mayor’s wife, Margot, is running for councilor under BOPK.
When it was Aquino’s turn to speak, he reiterated his promise to remain true to the legacy of his parents, slain Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and his late mother President Corazon Aquino, for an honest and corruption-free governance.
The rally, held at Cebu City Sports Center, was a show of force of sorts for the LP which is being supported by the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), a local party.
Leaders from various sectors—youth, senior citizens, vendors and urban poor—took turns declaring their support for Aquino.
Youth leader Erwin Andaya, chair of the Federation of the Supreme Student Councils of Cebu City, emerged to be the rally’s hit.
“I want to express the voice of the Cebuano youth, the voice that increasingly clamors for change and hope,” Andaya said, addressing Aquino and other LP leaders.
Andaya said Aquino should ignore survey results showing another candidate, apparently referring to Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Senator Manuel Villar, to be gaining ground.
“Remember, these numbers can be manipulated,” said Andaya. “I would like you to see these people gathered here tonight. Believe in them, believe in the numbers of the people who convened here tonight. This speaks for the truth.”
Ricky Ballesteros, who manages Cebu City Sports Center, said the crowd reached over 60,000, with the 15,000-capacity grandstand and the entire ground surrounding the stage fully occupied.
BOPK is the local party founded by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
Osmeña himself is not running for any position but has endorsed the mayoral candidacy of his vice mayor, Michael Rama. The mayor’s wife, Margot, is running for councilor under BOPK.
When it was Aquino’s turn to speak, he reiterated his promise to remain true to the legacy of his parents, slain Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and his late mother President Corazon Aquino, for an honest and corruption-free governance.
Tycoon's daughter enters wild world of Philippine politics
A daughter of tycoon Lucio Tan says she is defying the wishes of her famous father by seeking to become the first family member to directly enter the Philippines' wild world of politics.
"My family does not understand why I am getting into politics. (My father) does not really want me to run. His advice to me was to stay in the private sector if I want to help," said Vivienne Tan, an entrepreneur and educator.
Despite this, the slim, smartly-dressed Tan is throwing herself completely into the role of candidate, mixing with the weathered, sun-tanned street vendors and bus drivers whose votes she is seeking.
Tan, 41, is running in the May national elections for a congressional seat in a grimy, blue-collar suburb of the Philippine capital, a long way from the skyscrapers of Manila's financial district in which her father rules.
Her 74-year-old father, who was a close ally of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was listed by Forbes magazine last year as the second richest man in the Philippines and 522nd richest in the world with a net worth of $1.4 billion.
His business empire includes national flag-carrier Philippine Airlines, while he also has interests in banking, tobacco, real estate and alcohol.
Ethnic Chinese tycoons such as Tan have largely avoided running for national posts in the Philippines, usually preferring to wield power behind the scenes by providing funding to politicians.
But Tan said she had long dreamed of directly entering politics.
"I am an independent person. I have an independent mind and I know what I am doing and I know what I want to do with my life and what I want to do is to be able to serve," she said after giving a speech recently on the campaign trail.
Tan's father has long been a controversial figure because of his close ties to Marcos, whose dictatorship ended in 1986 with a "people power" revolution.
The government has for years been trying to prove that Tan's assets were ill-gotten through illegal deals during the Marcos years, but it has met with little success.
Vivienne Tan sought to distance herself from any comparison with her father and insisted she was not running to protect his interests.
"That's my father. That's not me. Leave all that to my father," she said.
"I can't do anything (about that reputation). All I can say is when I enter congress, they will know what I can do."
Tan attributed her independence to her experiences in the United States where she studied mathematics, computer science, fashion design and manufacturing. She also worked there in a law firm and a shipping company.
Except for a stint as her father's assistant in Philippine Airlines, she has also avoided getting involved in her family's businesses.
Instead, Tan set up business schools and worked on social projects promoting entrepreneurship in the Philippines.
However, while Tan said she and her friends were funding her campaign, she conceded she was prepared to dig into her family's enormous pockets if needed.
"If necessary, maybe I will approach them. We will see when we cross that bridge," she said.
Despite her powerful family name, Tan is facing an uphill battle in her bid to enter the nation's lower house.
Her opponent is incumbent congressman Vicente Crisologo, a scion of an established political family known to play rough in elections.
Crisologo spent five years in jail for burning down two villages that backed a rival politician in 1970.
"Even I'm a bit scared of him because of his experiences and his reputation," Tan said.
Tan has positioned herself as a reformer against a traditional politician she accuses of not truly helping the people of her district.
"It's time to trash the old politics that does not truly uplift and inspire the people," Tan told a crowd of supporters, most of them female market vendors, this month.
But political science assistant professor Gladstone Cuarteros, of the De La Salle University in Manila, said he doubted Tan's chances in this election because her opponent was so well-entrenched.
"The key is mobilizing voters and, in the case of Mr Crisologo, he started as city councilor and he has been very strong in that area while Vivienne Tan is new in the area," he told AFP.
"That area has a large number of urban poor and these voters will consider the previous help that was given to them," he said, citing the many times Crisologo resisted efforts to demolish squatter shanties in his district.
"My family does not understand why I am getting into politics. (My father) does not really want me to run. His advice to me was to stay in the private sector if I want to help," said Vivienne Tan, an entrepreneur and educator.
Despite this, the slim, smartly-dressed Tan is throwing herself completely into the role of candidate, mixing with the weathered, sun-tanned street vendors and bus drivers whose votes she is seeking.
Tan, 41, is running in the May national elections for a congressional seat in a grimy, blue-collar suburb of the Philippine capital, a long way from the skyscrapers of Manila's financial district in which her father rules.
Her 74-year-old father, who was a close ally of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was listed by Forbes magazine last year as the second richest man in the Philippines and 522nd richest in the world with a net worth of $1.4 billion.
His business empire includes national flag-carrier Philippine Airlines, while he also has interests in banking, tobacco, real estate and alcohol.
Ethnic Chinese tycoons such as Tan have largely avoided running for national posts in the Philippines, usually preferring to wield power behind the scenes by providing funding to politicians.
But Tan said she had long dreamed of directly entering politics.
"I am an independent person. I have an independent mind and I know what I am doing and I know what I want to do with my life and what I want to do is to be able to serve," she said after giving a speech recently on the campaign trail.
Tan's father has long been a controversial figure because of his close ties to Marcos, whose dictatorship ended in 1986 with a "people power" revolution.
The government has for years been trying to prove that Tan's assets were ill-gotten through illegal deals during the Marcos years, but it has met with little success.
Vivienne Tan sought to distance herself from any comparison with her father and insisted she was not running to protect his interests.
"That's my father. That's not me. Leave all that to my father," she said.
"I can't do anything (about that reputation). All I can say is when I enter congress, they will know what I can do."
Tan attributed her independence to her experiences in the United States where she studied mathematics, computer science, fashion design and manufacturing. She also worked there in a law firm and a shipping company.
Except for a stint as her father's assistant in Philippine Airlines, she has also avoided getting involved in her family's businesses.
Instead, Tan set up business schools and worked on social projects promoting entrepreneurship in the Philippines.
However, while Tan said she and her friends were funding her campaign, she conceded she was prepared to dig into her family's enormous pockets if needed.
"If necessary, maybe I will approach them. We will see when we cross that bridge," she said.
Despite her powerful family name, Tan is facing an uphill battle in her bid to enter the nation's lower house.
Her opponent is incumbent congressman Vicente Crisologo, a scion of an established political family known to play rough in elections.
Crisologo spent five years in jail for burning down two villages that backed a rival politician in 1970.
"Even I'm a bit scared of him because of his experiences and his reputation," Tan said.
Tan has positioned herself as a reformer against a traditional politician she accuses of not truly helping the people of her district.
"It's time to trash the old politics that does not truly uplift and inspire the people," Tan told a crowd of supporters, most of them female market vendors, this month.
But political science assistant professor Gladstone Cuarteros, of the De La Salle University in Manila, said he doubted Tan's chances in this election because her opponent was so well-entrenched.
"The key is mobilizing voters and, in the case of Mr Crisologo, he started as city councilor and he has been very strong in that area while Vivienne Tan is new in the area," he told AFP.
"That area has a large number of urban poor and these voters will consider the previous help that was given to them," he said, citing the many times Crisologo resisted efforts to demolish squatter shanties in his district.
Poll machines to be sealed 3 days before polls
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) would test and seal the poll machines three days before April 10 for overseas absentee voting and three days before May 10 for the domestic automated polls.
In Resolution 8785, local board of election inspectors (BEIs) and special BEIs (SBEIs) abroad are mandated to hold test the machine's accuracy in counting votes from ten sample ballots and printing the electronically-generated Election Returns (ERs), said spokesman James Jimenez.
Each of the ten sample ballots must be filled up—meaning the ovals opposite the names of candidates are fully shaded—by voters present during the testing and fed to the machine by the voter, after being verified by the BEI or SBEI, the resolution said.
The BEI and SBEI would be given personal security pins that would all be encoded to their designated poll machine to operate its functions. The machine would not operate if one security pin is missing or is not entered into poll the machine.
After the printing of the ERs, a manual audit would be conducted to reconcile the results from the printed ER and the manual tally by the BEI.
If the results of both ERs are the same, the certification portion of both ERs shall be signed by the BEI/SBEI and the representatives of the political parties, candidates or citizens' arms present. But if the results of both ERs are different, the BEI or SBEI shall review and appreciate the ballots to determine the cause of the discrepancy. If after the review, there are still different results, the BEI should call the assigned technical support and submit a report to the Comelec through the Field Operations Group of the Project Management Office.
After the testing, the special paper ballots, poll machines and its power card and security pins, and other related paraphernalia would be sealed inside the poll machine's box. It would be opened for use on Election Day.
On Thursday, Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said that 60,000 poll machines already passed the stress and laboratory tests at its warehouse in Laguna. Around 8,000 more units in the facility are being subjected to laboratory testing, while about 13,000 machines are set to arrive in the country February 26.
The poll chief added that six million ballots were already printed at the National Printing Office (NPO) for use in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the provinces of Batanes, Palawan, Bohol and Masbate, among others.
Poll automation law co-author and co-chairman of the joint congressional oversight committee on automation Makati Representative Teddy Boy Locsin gave Comelec “two-thumbs up” for its vigilance to prepare for the automated polls and several layers of safeguards it placed both for the ballot printing and poll machine testing.
He recanted his earlier proposal to dispose and burn the 1.7 million ballots printed for ARMM after noting that the additional 2-dimensional NPO bar code is “not critical” because of the five security features of the ballots, on top of its secured vacuum packaging for transport to its designated clustered precinct.
On Monday, Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) officially turned over to Comelec’s warehouse and testing facility in Laguna the last batch of 13,500 machines that arrived Saturday—beating the February 28 delivery deadline stipulated in the P7.1 billion contract.
In Resolution 8785, local board of election inspectors (BEIs) and special BEIs (SBEIs) abroad are mandated to hold test the machine's accuracy in counting votes from ten sample ballots and printing the electronically-generated Election Returns (ERs), said spokesman James Jimenez.
Each of the ten sample ballots must be filled up—meaning the ovals opposite the names of candidates are fully shaded—by voters present during the testing and fed to the machine by the voter, after being verified by the BEI or SBEI, the resolution said.
The BEI and SBEI would be given personal security pins that would all be encoded to their designated poll machine to operate its functions. The machine would not operate if one security pin is missing or is not entered into poll the machine.
After the printing of the ERs, a manual audit would be conducted to reconcile the results from the printed ER and the manual tally by the BEI.
If the results of both ERs are the same, the certification portion of both ERs shall be signed by the BEI/SBEI and the representatives of the political parties, candidates or citizens' arms present. But if the results of both ERs are different, the BEI or SBEI shall review and appreciate the ballots to determine the cause of the discrepancy. If after the review, there are still different results, the BEI should call the assigned technical support and submit a report to the Comelec through the Field Operations Group of the Project Management Office.
After the testing, the special paper ballots, poll machines and its power card and security pins, and other related paraphernalia would be sealed inside the poll machine's box. It would be opened for use on Election Day.
On Thursday, Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said that 60,000 poll machines already passed the stress and laboratory tests at its warehouse in Laguna. Around 8,000 more units in the facility are being subjected to laboratory testing, while about 13,000 machines are set to arrive in the country February 26.
The poll chief added that six million ballots were already printed at the National Printing Office (NPO) for use in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the provinces of Batanes, Palawan, Bohol and Masbate, among others.
Poll automation law co-author and co-chairman of the joint congressional oversight committee on automation Makati Representative Teddy Boy Locsin gave Comelec “two-thumbs up” for its vigilance to prepare for the automated polls and several layers of safeguards it placed both for the ballot printing and poll machine testing.
He recanted his earlier proposal to dispose and burn the 1.7 million ballots printed for ARMM after noting that the additional 2-dimensional NPO bar code is “not critical” because of the five security features of the ballots, on top of its secured vacuum packaging for transport to its designated clustered precinct.
On Monday, Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) officially turned over to Comelec’s warehouse and testing facility in Laguna the last batch of 13,500 machines that arrived Saturday—beating the February 28 delivery deadline stipulated in the P7.1 billion contract.
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