By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Brillantes cannot just hold another fully automated elections even without banishing "the ghosts and weaknesses" of previous elections, particularly that of the 2010 automated elections. “He must come up with a comprehensive report at the soonest time possible, lest he be accused of merely sweeping under the rug all those cases of poll irregularities,” said We Watch, a watchdog.
By MARYA SALAMAT
Given the peoples’ worsening jobs situation and income gap under Arroyo, malnutrition, diseases and accidents caused by poverty plague many poor communities.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Same old names, same old problems dominated the May 2010 elections, but there is reason to hope in the determination voters and teachers showed to make it work.
By ANNE EDNALYN V. DE LA CRUZ
Poll Violations, Irregularities, Violence in Lanao Special Elections
The very same reasons that caused a failure of elections in Lanao del Sur remain unresolved even with the June 3 special elections.
By IBON FOUNDATION
‘Election privatization’ is a phenomenon that is feared even in the most advanced countries as undermining an important democratic exercise such as the national elections.
By ANNE EDNALYN V. DE LA CRUZ Bulatlat.com Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Panel Chairperson Mohagher Iqbal denied allegations that his group was involved in election-related violence in Lanao del Sur last May 10. “We denounce the allegation as entirely...
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
The Commission on Elections constituting itself as a National Board of Canvassers for the senatorial and party-list elections has already proclaimed the 12 winning senators, but the winners in the party-list elections would have to wait until all election returns have been canvassed.
By RONALYN OLEA
“Some say the sins of the father should not be passed on to the children but the First Family immensely benefited during Marcos’ reign. In that sense, they are part of the accountability,” said Dr. Judy Taguiwalo, former political prisoner and torture victim during the Marcos dictatorship.
By D. L. MONDELO
“The automated electoral system does not prevent the cheating tactics of the past but in fact allows cheating in a bigger and faster way.”
By CAMILLE ANNE DE ASIS and CIELO EUNICE FLORES
“Media did a better job, but some of the old problems remain,” said Dean Luis Teodoro, Deputy Director of Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility.
By CIELO EUNICE FLORES
“In theory or by law, the Comelec is legally responsible for the problems encountered in the elections…” Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, co-chair of the Joint Congressional committee on automated polls told a group of international observers.
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat.com I stand corrected. In a previous analysis “Has the Country Achieved a Clean, Honest, and Democratic Elections,” this writer concluded that except for the long queues, election automation was able to fix the voting process in the...
By JENNIFER CHAN Democratic Space Bulatlat.com This year’s presidential elections marked a huge and significant change in Philippine politics. And it’s not just because of the automation process although that, too, is a big deal. For the first time in a long while,...
By the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) congratulates the teachers, media, watchdogs, and the Filipino people, for their collective efforts at vigilance and dedication to national interest...
By MARYA SALAMAT
“With the many serious problems in the whole election process, it is only through the efforts of the people – the sacrifices made by the public school teachers and the resilience of voters – that the election was made possible,” said the Peoples' International Observers' Mission.
By JENNY S. DE VENECIA
International observer intimidated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Abra
By CAMILLE ANNE DE ASIS
“Though the automation of the elections brought quite a few positive changes in the electoral system...Unfortunately, these improvements were not sufficient to break the established system of command votes, in which political leaders dictate people’s choices, and continues to thwart the true exercise of the right to suffrage,” said Salik Ibrahim of the Citizens’ Coalition for ARMM Electoral Reforms.
By CHERYLL D. FIEL / Davao Today
The City Board of Canvassers in Davao lowered the threshold of votes necessary for the winning candidates to be proclaimed winners. The Board proclaimed the winners five hours after it resumed counting of votes on Wednesday, May 12.
By JETTY AYOP-OHAYLAN AND MARIETTA BASTE-HERNANI / Davao Today
In Marahan Central Elementary School in the city’s third district, the voting pace was slow, and even those who went before the poll centers opened waited for five hours for their turn to vote. The school had two precincts with 1,000 total voters. By noon, only 30 percent of the total number has cast their votes.
By GERMELINA LACORTE / Davao Today
Carmen Gultiano, a voter in one of the precinct clusters at the Daniel Aguinaldo National High School, came out of her precinct tired, agitated and unable to hide her frustrations after spending six hours just to vote. Gultiano arrived at her precinct at eight o’clock in the morning and was only able to vote at two thirty in the afternoon.
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