A look at the election outcome in some of the political turfs would show whether the geopolitical balance of power has changed without necessarily shaking the infrastructures of political dynasties in those areas. By the Policy Study, Publication and Advocacy (PSPA) Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) Posted by Bulatlat ELECTION WATCH Vol. VII,…
Month: May 2007
Rollbacks Not Enough, Oil Products Still Overpriced
Despite the recent oil price rollbacks, IBON computations show that oil products in the country are still overpriced by P2.12 ($0.043) per liter. While the Filipino people suffers from increases in the prices of basic goods and services, oil companies earned P3.32 billion ($68,729,945) from January to November, 2006, of which more than P2.86 billion…
Kontra Daya Sends Team to Lanao del Sur, Condemns Deployment of Soldiers
BY EMILY VITAL BULATLAT May 25,2007 – 3:46 p.m. Election watchdog Kontra Daya has sent a team to Lanao del Sur to observe the special elections on Saturday. Led by Emmie de Jesus, one of the Kontra Daya convenors, the six-person team left for Lanao del Sur early morning, Friday. Nitz Mahinay serves as the…
Thousands Protest Poll Fraud near PICC
BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO Bulatlat Breaking News / Election Watch May 23, 2007 – 7:36pm Thousands braved strong rains and rallied this afternoon near the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), where the national canvassing of votes is being held, to protest what was described as “the Arroyo administration’s orchestrated cheating” in the recently-concluded senatorial and…
Clean and Peaceful Elections?
Immediately after the polls closed on May 14, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. and Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Calderon declared the elections as relatively clean and peaceful. The declaration was made amid the election-related violence, which claimed more candidate’s lives, the spate of political killings and harassments targeting members…
Cotabato Bombing Part of Electoral Fraud Plan – InPeace
BY BULATLAT ELECTION WATCH/ BREAKING NEWS May 21, 2007 – 12:20pm A lawyer and convenor of the multi-sectoral group the Initiatives for Peace in Mindanao (InPeace), Beverly Selim-Musni, pointed to the Macapagal-Arroyo government as being behind the bombing which hit the Weena Bus Terminal in Cotabato City last May 18, 11 a.m. Two children were…
Kontra Daya: Next Congress Should Impeach Abalos
BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO Bulatlat Breaking News / Election Watch May 21, 2007 – 2:41pm The poll monitoring group Kontra Daya (Anti-Fraud) has called on the next Congress to impeach Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos for what it described as the “questionable, tainted” character of the recently-concluded senatorial and local elections. Kontra Daya…
Poll Watcher Exposes Vote Padding for Palace-Sponsored Party-List
BY DABET CASTAÑEDA Bulatlat Posted May 21, 2007, 7:10 p.m. Kabataan (Youth) Party-list poll watcher Daniel Cleofas Jr. today told the media he witnessed the tampering of votes in at least seven precincts in Caloocan. Cleofas said the padding of votes was done in favor of the party-list group Kasangga which is allegedly sponsored by…
International Observers Rebut AFP Excuse for Delaying Them
BY KAREN PAPELLERO Bulatlat ELECTION WATCH/ BREAKING NEWS May 17, 2007 – 11:14 p.m. “How can we harass them when they have the guns?” “They delayed our trip and hindered us from reaching the areas where we want to observe the elections. Instead of aiding us in this undertaking, which is even welcomed by the…
2 Kabataan Poll Watchers Abducted, Killed in Bicol
BY AUBREY SC MAKILAN Bulatlat ELECTION WATCH/BREAKING NEWS May 18, 2007 – 2:59pm Two poll watchers for the Kabataan Party-list were abducted and killed in Capalonga, Camarines Norte. Based on the party’s press release, Jun Bagasbas, 20, of Ulipanan Jose Panganiban, and Ronilo Vallevare, 16, of Brgy. Old Camp Capalonga, both Kabataan organizers and poll…
$120-million bridge to link Samal to Davao
BY ROSE B. PALACIO Philippine Information Agency Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 15, May 20-26, 2007 DAVAO CITY — A $120-million bridge will soon connect Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal, a project that is expected to boost tourism and trade for the two cities. Public Works and Highways Acting Secretary…