Go out and vote for Baranggay and Sanguniang Kabataan Election

October 25, 2010 marks the date for the Baranggay and Sanguniang Kabataan Election, 5 months after the national and local election. For others they see Brgy. and SK election is just a waste of time that’s why they took the look weekend opportunity to relax and enjoy, but the said part is they didn’t notice the importance of this election. Baranggay level might sound small but it plays a vital role in governing a community no matter how small or big it was, as for SK it plays a role to empower the youth in bringing their voices to the authority. In taking care of security in the community and direct coordination of project implementation baranggay plays that role.

It will be manual voting for this election that is why it is necessary to bring the Voter’s ID, any valid IDs that will proof your identity (if you don’t have you’re voter’s id), extra pen, and patience. The voting precincts will accept registered voters from 7 am to 3pm only and there will be no extension. There are several areas that will re-schedule their election because of the flood and damage done by Typhoon Juan (Megi).

Election proves our sovereignty and our responsibility to share our nation’s future, do your task as a responsible citizen and let your vote count. Go out on the Brgy and SK election and vote with a clear conscience. For those who saw anomalies during the election send reports to Boto Mo i-Patrol Mo, text ireport (name, address and message) and send to 2366, and on posting via online use #halalan hashtag and mention any of the following on twitter @bayanmo, @tvpatrol @abscbnnews and @ancalerts.

*Photos were taken during the 2010 Presidential Election in May 11.

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10 Day Voters Registration begins on August 4, 2010

In line with the Baranggay Election that will happen on October 25, 2010, the Commission on Election (COMELEC) will be opening 10 days voters registration that will run from August 4 to 13.

Here are the details and requirements of the 10 days voters registration thanks to COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez:

WHO:

1. Any Filipino citizen may register as voter as long as he is 18 years old or older on the day of the next election (in this case the 25 October 2010 Barangay Elections);
2. Has resided in the Philippines at least a year prior to the elections;
3. Has resided for at least six months in the place he wants to vote at; and
4. He isn’t disqualified by law for being incompetent or insane or sentenced by final judgement to suffer a term of imprisonment of at least one year.

WHAT:

1. Applications for registration
2. Transfer of registration records
3. Reactivation of registration record
4. Corrections and changes in entries

WHEN:

1. In the district, city, or municipality where the applicant resides
2. Monday to Sunday
3. 8 am – 7:00 pm

HOW:

1. Personal appearance
2. Give name and exact address (specify: house number, street name, area, district, purok, sitio, and barangay)
3. Give a brief description of the residence
4. Present ID that bears photo and signature (company or school ID, postal ID, driver’s license, etc.)
5. No ID? Get a registered voter of the same precinct to vouch for your identity.
6. Fill up the form
7. Biometrics

After filing the application for registration, wait for the approval of your application. If someone has challenged your application, there will be a hearing and a notice of hearing will be posted.

According to Jimenez there will be no satellite registration, so be there as early after all 3 days from the 10-day period will be on weekends so there’s no classes and there will be no excuse not to be there and to be late. Do your part and register on the next election!

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Still just like manual election…

After my amazement on the poll automation system implemented by the Commission on Election, sadly it seems like we are all back in manual counting where he have election dramas here and there that slows the counting of ballots, along with the back to back, side and front issues on anomalies thrown by the opposing candidates and whistle blowers.

Just like a primetime drama, we have characters hiding on mask, and last minute revelations that contribute to the twist and turns of this election. According the whistle blowers they already know that there are cheating on the poll before election takes place on May 10 such as; the anomaly-ridden ballot-secrecy-folder deal; the buying of indelible ink that supposedly did not pass the requirements; the alleged intentional delay in the final testing and sealing of Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines to allow cheating in the elections. (Posted on www.ABS-CBNnews.com) all were allegations thrown to the COMELEC

But one thing I want to know if they are aware on the said anomalies of election, why stating those concerns now? Before the election takes place and during the bidding, there are tons of media men during the selection process why they need to wait until after election if they really have concerns for clean poll? Honestly this post doesn’t side on the COMELEC, this post is hoping for a clear answers, everybody wants transparency. Maybe the next administration should look deeper on the system and policy making of COMELEC if they really want to clean the system after all election is not yet over after the proclamation we still have baranggay election on October and senatorial election on 2013, it isn’t time to clean the system of COMELEC following its tagline “protecting the sanctity of the ballot since 1940”.

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Let People Power works on May 10, 2010

As remember People Power on its 24th anniversary Filipinos should remember of what happen in EDSA last February 25, 1986. I was only few years old during that time yet like what I always say that it doesn’t hinder me of knowing what happen how we suffer from martial law and how press freedom and human rights were suppress and violated. But people stood up and say no more of it and they march on EDSA to protest and calls for bringing democracy back to the Philippines. I don’t want to converse much of the history everyone knows what happen and how we gain democracy it only in the matter how we embrace it.


I was hoping that on the 2010 Election on May 10, the spirit of People Power works, to be vocal of what the country really needs and what our leaders should be doing. I hope that everyone should participate on the election and exercise this right, the people power now is though voting and participating on know candidates deeper not only with the personal life and popularity, not by just rubbing elbows with them but through their platforms. We should have constant evaluation on their platforms like what I have observed and blogged they have vague plans on education, maternal health, housing and urban planning and now with the alarming issue on climate change, rapid increase of population growth and the epidemic status of HIV/AIDS in the country maybe the future president should have a concrete plan on answering this concern including graft and corruption and proper management on pork barrel.

Let EDSA People Power Revolution inspire us that once in our life we should stood for our country and our countrymen, and this time its through election and becoming vigilant in all the things that our government officials is doing. Let People Power and the love for our county continue burns in our heart. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

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2010 Election Update: The 90 day campaign period begins on Feb 9

Simula ngayong February 9, 2010 12 midnight ay opisyal nang uumpisahan ang 90 day campaign period ng mga kakandidato para sa pagka-president, vice president, senator and partylist. Ito ang panahon na you can see the words; “vote for” and “for the position of” sa mga posters, billboards, television, radio and online advertisements nila hanggang sa araw ng May 10, 2010 Election.

The 90 day campaign period includes the guidelines presented by the Commission on Election that will restrict the politicians from posting their posters in areas not discuss on the common poster area. Sa kadahilanang iniiwas ng COMELEC ang pagpopost ng mga posters ng mga kandidato kung saan saan lang na karaniwang reklamo ng mga tao tuwing panahon ng election. The common poster area doesn’t include trees, buildings, and electric posts. Anyone who disobeys this rule will be subjected to consequences indicated in the Fair Election Practices Act which includes: 1-6 years of imprisonment and disqualification. COMELEC will give all the candidates to remove their posters placed outside the imposed common poster area.

In regards with the TV and Radio placement the guidelines indicate that each candidate will only have 120 minutes accumulated TV commercials in all TV networks combined for the whole campaign period. For Radio the candidates will have 180 minutes accumulated radio commercials in all radio stations combined for the whole campaign period.

Based from what we see on TV presidential candidate Manny Villar of Nacionalista Party dominates the airwaves followed by Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro of LAKAS KAMPI CMD, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III of Liberal Party, Richard “Dick” Gordon, Joseph Ejercito “Erap” Estrada and Bro Eddie Villanueva, while candidates JC delos Reyes of Ang Kapatiran, Nick Perlas, Vetallano Acosta and Jamby Madrigal haven’t release and TV commercials yet. Vice Presidential candidate Jejomar Binay, Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, Loren Legarda and Bayani Fernando dominates the airwaves.

Manny Villar ranks number 14 from the top 20 advertisers of 2009 and also has a game segment on Eat Bulaga, a GMA 7’s noontime show. TV is the main vehicle for candidate to present themselves to the public, followed by radio, online and print ads.

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5 out of 50 Ballots rejected on the mock election in New Era Elementary School

February 6, New Era Elementary School, Tandang Sora, Quezon City, in line with the preparation for the May 10 Poll Automation, Commission on Election conducted mock election on nine selected areas with the country where New Era Elementary School which only has fifty mock election voters. The mock election begins at 8:00AM and ends at 10AM. From the fifty ballots only four were rejected, it should be five but the representative of the Smartmatic use the rejected ballot to discuss the importance of following the guidelines on voter’s education to fully shade the ovals in the ballots and avoid voting ambiguous markings where the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines sees it as error. Here is the video of Miguel Avila of Smartmatic explaining:



Aside from the ballots being rejected minor argument among the media and COMELEC officials became a problem during the mock election in New Era Elementary school. After the mock election Jose Rizal wins president in New Era Elementary School poll with 22 votes and Marcelo H. del Pillar as vice president with 12 votes. Present at the mock election in New Era were Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) chairperson Ambassador Henrietta "Tita" de Villa and Automated Election System Watch (AES Watch convenor Alfredo Pascual to observe the event along with representatives from various groups like Bantay Daya 2010, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and other sectors. According to Ambassador de Villa that the COMELEC and teachers assigned on the election must remind the voters to follow the guidelines on the voter’s education to minimize the possibility of ballot rejections and they should re-check their ballots first if there are ambiguous markings, not fully shaded ovals and folds on their ballots that result machine rejections.

There are two rooms allotted for the mock election, the actual voting area and the holding area. In New Era Elementary School mock election voters were grouped into ten members per batch, it takes 5-10 minutes for a voter to finish casting his/her votes while others takes time to choose their candidates even the list is fictional. It takes only few minutes to transmit the results to the session hall of the Quezon City Hall. Here are some images from the mock election that happen in New Era Elementary School.





COMELEC spokesperson James Jimenez says that the mock election that happens today is considered successful despite of the minor problems that polling precincts encountered. All the nine mock poll precincts (Gen. Ricardo Papa Memorial High School – Taguig City, Maharlika Elementary School – Taguig City, Pines City National High School - Baguio City, Community Youth Center - Baguio City, Mabini Elementary School -Cebu City, Bulacao Community School - Cebu City, Alejandra Navarro Elementary School - Davao City, Generoso Elementary School - Davao City, New Era Elementary School - Quezon City) transmitted the to the COMELEC office by 11:11AM. But one question remains unanswered if the PCOS machines can contain the votes coming from 76,000 clustered precincts on May 10, 2010. I hope that aside from the cities that COMELEC targeted on today’s mock election, COMELEC will have mock elections on provincial/rural areas to check the capacity of the machines, the voter’s behavior toward the new system and extending the voter’s education especially the teachers who will be working with the COMELEC on the 2010 election.

On my take and updates Philippine 2010 Election click here.

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COMELEC holds mock up election on February 6

In line with the new system to be implemented on May 10 election, Commission on Election will be having nationwide mock up elections on February 6, in selected areas within the country to test how will the poll automation pushed through. The actual mock poll is scheduled from 7am until 6pm to see the behavior of the voters toward the new system and the actual function of the polling machines.

Here are the participating schools for the mock up election on February 6.
Gen. Ricardo Papa Memorial High School – Taguig City

• Maharlika Elementary School – Taguig City
• Pines City National High School - Baguio City
• Community Youth Center - Baguio City
• Mabini Elementary School -Cebu City
• Bulacao Community School - Cebu City
• Alejandra Navarro Elementary School - Davao City
• Generoso Elementary School - Davao City
• New Era Elementary School - Quezon City

The main objective of the mock poll is to see the over all function of the precinct count optical scan machines (PCOS) which includes the counting and transmission to the server.

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“Election Gun ban” begins but…

Beginning January 10 (Sunday) mag sisimula na ang total gun ban sa bansa in connection sa 2010 National Election na magaganap sa May 10 at ito ay babantayan ng Commision on Election (COMELEC), Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) at malilift ang ban na ito hanggang June 10. Tanging ang mga pulis, sundalo, mga government at government accredited protective agencies ang papayagan na magdala ng baril hanggang sa election at wala naman exemptions ang mga politicians na kung saan kailangan pa nilang mag apply sa COMELEC para sa mga security escorts na manggagaling lamang sa PNP, AFP at PNP Private Agencies para maiwasan na rin paglaganap ng private armies lalo na ngayong ito ang unang Poll Automation ng bansa. Ipinagbabawal na rin simula sa Sunday ang replica ng mga baril, air gun at air soft na bitbitin, habang ang mga bagong bili na baril ay hindi muna makukuha sa loob ng election period ang mga ito ay mapupunta pansamantala sa custody ng PNP.

… new election problem arises

Sa May 10 na ang election dumating man ang machine na gagamitin sa election kahit na-delay ito ay sa January 25 pa nakatakdang mag print ng almost five million ballots pero hanggang ngayon hindi pa final ang listahan ng mga kandidatong ilalagay rito. Dahil ang mga ilang na-disqualified ay umaapila pa rin hanggang ngayon at may dalawang linggo na lang para mafinalize ito at maihabol sa printing ng ballots. Habang ang mga 80, 000 ballot boxes naman ay hindi pa nagagawa dahil hindi ito kasama sa automation contract pero ipapagawa pa rin ito sa Smartmatic International Corp. (Smartmatic) / Total Information Management Corporation (TIM) na siyang nag manufacture ng counting machine. At kulang din ang bilang ng mga tao ng COMELEC para sa voter’s education na kung saan mayroon na lang less than a month na lang bago ang mismong election.

Blogger’s POV

Ayaw ko maging negative pagdating sa issue na kinakaharap ng COMELEC lalo na’t base sa proposed calendar nila ay dapat nag umpisa na noong December ang voter’s education at ang tanging nagawa nila ay ang demonstration sa mga piling grupo lamang na hindi malinaw kung paano nila isinasagawa ang prosesong ito o wala mang anunsyo sa kanilang website. Ilang beses ko na rin kinausap ang mga representative ng COMELC pero sa kasamaang palad ay tila namimili sila ng kakausapin o wala silang sagot na maibibigay sa mga concerns ng mga taong maraming taong ukol sa automation. Tanging panalangin ko na lang ay maging maayos ang election ay ma-meet lahat ng deadlines na kinakailangan ayusin ng COMELEC.

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Harapan: The ANC Presidential Forum on UST

Last November 3 ay muling ginawa ng ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs ang kanilang ANC 2010 Leadership Forum in line sa nalalapit na 2010 Election para mas makilala at makilatis sa ng taong bayan ang mga taong sasabak sa pagkapangulo ng bansa. This time ginawa ang forum sa College of Medicine Auditorium sa University of Santo Tomas at tinawag itong Harapan: The ANC Presidential Forum, na kung saan opisyal nang nagpasa ng mga certificate of candidacy (COC) sa Commision of Election at parmal nang sasabak sa halalan sa 2010 kumpara sa mga naunang leadership forum ng ANC.

Ang presidential forum ay pinagunahan ni Ted Failon, anchor ng TV Patrol World, Failon Ngayon at Tambalang Failon at Sanchez sa DZMM. Habang ang nasa panel naman ay sina Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon (Partidong Bagong Bayan), Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III (Liberal Party), Former Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro (Lakas Kampi CMD), Former President Joseph Ejercito “Erap” Estrada (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino), Olonggapo Councilor JC De Los Reyes (Ang Kapatiran Party), Jesus is Lord Leader Bro. Eddie Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas), at environmentalist Nicanor Perlas (Independent) pero sa kasamaang palad ay hindi nakapunta si Nacionalista Party standard bearer Manny Villar dahil sa may importante itong lakad.

Bukod sa usual light question ng mga audience ay napag usapan ang issue ng Maguindanao, pagtakbo ni President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sa 2nd District ng Pampanga, usapin ng Reproductive Health at ang nepotismo sa gobyerno. Narito ang mga highlights ng mga sagot nila:

Gloria Arroyo as House Speaker while you are the President:

Teodoro – Inaasahan niyang susunod ni PGMA sa platapormang binuo nila sa kanilang partido sa kanyang pangungina bilang pangulo nito.

Estrada – Ayon sa kanya hindi na dapat tumakbo ang pangulo (PGMA) bilang congresswoman in respect of the office of the President.

Perlas – It is a huge shame ang pagtagkbo ni Arroyo.

Villanueva – Hindi siya naniniwala na magiging Speaker of the House si PGMA dahil gagamitin niya ang full force ng pagiging presidente niya.

Gordon – “I’m in favor of changing the constitution but not under the control of PGMA”

Aquino – “ I will stand up against any measure against the constitution”

Delos Reyes – Hindi siya sang ayon sa pagtakbo ni PGMA bagamat legal ito ay labag sa delikadesa.

Naging controversial din ang tanong na kung ano ang gagawin mo sa unang isang daang araw nila sa posisyon bilang pangulo ng bansa.


Teodoro – patuloy na pag aalaga sa poorest of the poor
- pagpapatibay sa basic education reform
- patuloy na pagpapatupad at pagpapaayos ng mga nasirang infrastructure
- pagpapatuloy ng paghahanap at pagsusuri ng iuupo sa mga agency
- pagconvene ng arm forces at national police for security and peace order
- pagconvene ng mga council of state
- magpakita ng non tolerance sa graft and corruption and transparency sa gobyerno

Erstrada – food security program through local agriculture
- peace and order

Perlas – tatanggalin lahat ng smoke belcher
- lilinisin ang BIR at Bureau of Customs
- ihinto ang private armies
- massive agricultural program

Villanueva – issue Presidential Proclamation para pasalamatan ang Diyos
- Mag-issue ng executive order creating National Commission for Peace and Progress
- Creating a Commission waging serious war against corruption, injustice and poverty

Gordon – Babaguhin ang kalooban ng Filipino as a Sincere changed country
- number one dapat ang education and health at hindi ang debt servicing
- convince IMF at World Bank to get debt monitorium

Aquino – job generation
- education
- health
- judicial reform

Delos Reyes – Will have retreat and pray to strengthen himself
- papangunahan ang mga Filipino na magpakumbaba dahil ang suliranin ay problemang moral
- pabalikin ang mga OFW sa pamilya nila

Here is their actual stand on the issue of Reproductive Health



Watch the replay of Harapan: The ANC Presidential Forum on December 6 on Sunday’s Best timeslot on ABS-CBN and keep posted on ANC Channel for the announcement of its replay, you can watch it also online on TFC NOW’s News on Demand by subscribing to http://now.abs-cbn.com

The first Harapan dismays me seeing the 7 presidential candidates na hindi nila alam gaano at kung paano sasagutin ang mga tanong at mga issue. Pero dahil nga unang mga forum pa lang ito at di pa talagang nararamdaman ang competition kaya ganun pa sumagot ang iba, sana man lang bago dumating ang mga huling araw bago ang eleksyon maayos na ang paninindigan nila at may kongkreto na silang panukala. Mayroon pang natitirang almost 5 months bago ang eleksyon, marahil igugulong natin ito para makilatis mabuti ang mga sinasabi at ginagawa ng mga kakandidatong ito at lumiligaw para sa ating boto. Magi sip tayo n g mabuti at magkumpara dahil ang isang boto natin sa Mayo ay magiging anim na taong kaginhawaan o kahirapan natin at ng bayan.

No More Registration Extension – COMELEC

November 3, ito ang araw na kung saan papayagan na lang ng COMELEC na makapag-rehistro ang mga bagong botante na kung saan inabutan ng pagsara ng registration noong October 31, Sabado na siyang nakakuha ng form at nakapagpalista sa log book lamang. Nilinaw ng COMELEC na ang nagaganap na pagpaparehistro ngayon ay hindi isang extension kundi para tapusin na lang ang mga hindi nakatuloy ng registration nung Saturday dahil sa bagyong Santi at brown out sa ilang mga local COMELEC office.

Nag umpisa ang registration noong December 2008 hanggang October 31, 2009, pero hindi pasok ang bilang ng mga bagong botante sa registration dahil instead of 4 Million na ineexpect nilang accumulated voters na magpaparehistro sana sa loob ng 10 months ay tanging 3.1 Million lamang ang bilang ng mga nagregister.

Ayon sa COMELEC Law Director Attorney Ferdinand Rafaran sa interview niya sa TV Patrol World ay kulang sa budget ang dahilan sa mababang bilang nang nagparehistro na kung saan hindi tatlo kundi sampung registration machine ang dapat naka-deploy sa mga local COMELEC offices para mas mapadali ang proseso ng registration mula noong December hanggang Oct 31. Na kung saan nagiging resulta ng pagtigil ng registration tuwing nasisira ang machine at kailangan itong ipagawa muna, kasama na rin sa contribution sa pagbagal ng registration ay ang late na pagbubukas ng mga COMELEC offices na kung saan nakasaad sa batas na ang operation time ay office hours ito ang nakasaad sa Republic Act 8189 Section 8. “The personal filling of application of registration of voters shall be conducted daily in the election office during regular office hours…” At ang tanging solution na nakikita ni Attorney Rafaran sa kanyang interview kasama ni Anthony Taberna ay agahan ang gagawin na pagbubukas sa registration ng new voters para hindi na magkaroon ng abala.

Pero sa kabila ng 10 buwan na registration period na binigay ng COMELEC para sa 2010 Election na kung saan nagkaroon ng abala sa buwan ng September at early October dahil sa mga bagyo, ay nariyan pa rin ang sakit ng mga ibang Filipino at iyon ang pagiging last minute sa mga bagay na kung saan magpupunta lamang sila sa huling araw ng filing. Tulad ng sinasabi ko noon sa kampanya ko sa blog na ito na register to vote noon pa, ay pumila ng maaga para iwas abala, at nakita natin ito kaya sa mga observation ko sa mga COMELEC offices hindi ko masisisi ang mga opisyal na magpapasaring na dapat noon pa kaya nagparehistro para iwas abala, dahil last December pa nag bukas ang registration period e bakit kung kainlan huling araw dun pa kayo makikisiksik, may karapatan ka bang magreklamo sa mainit at mahabang pila sa huling araw kung inumagahan mo sana e dim as maayos sana at nakapagparegistro ka pa.

Go out and register for the 2010 election

Wala kang karapatan magreklamo sa sistema ng gobyerno o sa mga ginagawa ng pulitiko kung sa una pa lang wala kang pakialam dahil hindi ka bumoto, this is the usual statement of my fellow register and vote advocates who keeps reminding the youth and other Filipinos to register for the 2010 election.

2010 National and Local election will be my third time to participate to the election as a voter. Naniniwala ako na every vote counts and kulang ang pagka-Filipino if hindi ka nakibahagi sa eleksyon. Like what I said in my blog Magparehistro, Mamulat, Bumoto at Magbantay, it is important that each one should participate in the election, na ang isang boto ay maaaring magdikta sa kinabukasan ng bansa sa loob ng anim na taon. Each ballot is like giving the key to your house to politicians who will dictates and runs the country where your house is included. At least you have a choice kung kanino mo ibibigay yun at hindi yung walang kalaban laban kasi hindi ka bumoto.

Accept the challenge na may part ka sa pagbabagong magyayari sa bansa natin and that challenge when you register and take part of the election. Kung sawang sawa ka na sa eskandalo at problema sa bayan mo dapat umpisahan mo sa pagboto ng tama at mga pinunong matalino at may puso sa bayan.

Last week na ng registration sana huwag mong palagpasin ang chance na ito na maari kang makapagdala ng change sa bayan mo. Registration is until October 31 12 midnight and as of last week registration begins at 9am until 9pm on all local Comelec office just bring all the requirements and be on the local Comelec office in your area early to avoid long pile up in the line.

UPDATE!!! as of October 31, 1PM

COMELEC Chairman Jose Melo extended the registration until November 3 which will start from 8am until 12 midnight so for those who have problems to go out and register today (Oct 31) because of typhoon Santi you can still register and vote for the 2010 election.