Opposition bets refuse to sign election covenant

BY ERNIE B. ESCONDE - MANILA TIMES CORRESPONDENT

BALANGA City, Bataan: The covenant for the holding of an honest, orderly and peaceful elections in Bataan on Tuesday failed after opposition candidates refused to sign the agreement, demanding that various agencies involved in the elections be included as participants and not merely as witnesses to the signing.

Mayor Nelson David of Limay town, gubernatorial candidate under the Nationalist People’s Coalition, led the other candidates in defying the covenant signed by reelectionist Gov. Enrique Garcia and his group under the administration Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats.

The covenant was initiated by the provincial officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) with support from the Army’s Third Infantry Battalion, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and the provincial office of the Department of Education.

Instead of joining Garcia in the signing of the covenant, David voiced his concerns to Monsignor Victor Ocampo and Comelec Provincial Supervisor Elmo Duque.

David said the Comelec, PNP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Department of Education should sign the covenant as well as they are the principal participants in keeping peace and order during the elections.

Reelectionist Rep. Herminia Roman of Bataan’s first district sided with David, having left the camp of Garcia.

Gila Garcia, daughter of the governor and director of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, is opposing Roman in the congressional race.

Senior Supt. Arnold Gunacao, newly installed Bataan police director, said they were to act as witnesses in the covenant but if required, they will sign as participants. He considered the occasion as successful although only one party signed. “The mere fact that the other party came was proof enough that they are willing to participate,” the police colonel said.

Lt. Col. Danilo Benavidez of the Army’s Third Infantry Battalion said they are under the Comelec and that they would abide with the orders of the poll body.

Lawyer Elmo Duque, provincial Comelec supervisor, said he will hear the side of David and Roman and if meritorious will incorporate in the covenant.

“There might be a part 2 signing,” Duque said.

Aquino leads rivals in Facebook face-off

By Michael Lim Ubac

Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE leading contenders for the presidency are not too old for Facebook.

In the digital race to get more “fans” and online “supporters,” Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III of the Liberal Party is ahead of the pack.

So far, on their official pages in the online social networking site, Aquino has 210,988 supporters; Sen. Manuel Villar (Nacionalista Party), 158,016 fans, plus 2,756 in two other Facebook public profiles; former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro (Lakas-Kampi-CMD), 26,907 fans and 3,100 supporters; Sen. Richard Gordon (Bagumbayan), 2,894 supporters, and former President Joseph Estrada (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino), 4,050 supporters.

Estrada has another Facebook account with 421 fans.

Sen. Jamby Madrigal (independent) has 201 fans, while the two youth group accounts of Olongapo Councilor JC de los Reyes (Ang Kapatiran) have 861 and 71 members.

The Inquirer made the count at 3 p.m. Saturday, but the figures continued to change at press time.

New Media Team

Aquino breached the 200,000 mark when, in the first hours of the New Year, one Abygail Salcedo clicked the “supporter” button in his site.

Salcedo was responding to the campaign being waged by the volunteer “Noynoy New Media Team,” which has launched an online drive in the run-up to the May 2010 elections.

The team welcomed this development in a statement saying: “201,000th fan marks beginning of 2010 for Noynoy’s online supporters.”

It also said the continuing surge showed the “unwavering momentum” of Aquino’s candidacy for the presidency.

Over the holidays, Aquino supporters from all over the world rallied friends and relatives by forming sign-up brigades, personally inviting friends, forwarding e-mails and painting their profile pictures yellow (the candidate’s campaign color).

Some supporters donated a few dollars a day to widen their reach and advertise their support on the social network.

What surveys say

“The breaching of our goal cements what the polls have been consistently saying for the last four months,” said New Media Bureau head Vicente Romano III.

It was a reference to Aquino’s consistent No. 1 position in the political surveys.

“The momentum is unbroken, Filipinos are steadfastly heeding our call for genuine change in this country,” Romano said, adding:

“This only proves that if we work together and put our hearts into it, we can accomplish great things.”

Aquino’s fan page amassed more than 80,000 new supporters in 20 days. And the 201,000 target was easily surpassed, widening the gap between Aquino and his rivals by more than 50,000 supporters.

It remains to be seen, however, whether the number of online fans and supporters would translate to votes come election day.

Profile pictures

Aquino, Villar, Teodoro, Gordon and Estrada uploaded their photoshop-edited profile pictures. But only Villar is smiling in his photo; the rest are shown in a pensive or serious mood.

With the tagline “Gordon, Bayani (Hero),” the senator who heads the Philippine National Red Cross is shown hugging a baby and holding a megaphone—a picture taken while he was mobilizing volunteers and rescuers during the eruption of Mount Pinatubo early in the 1990s.

Gordon’s campaign slogan: “Leadership must be earned, not bought nor inherited.”

Villar is shown wearing his orange campaign color against a green backdrop, a way of reminding voters that his running mate, Sen. Loren Legarda, has championed environmental causes for over two decades.

His campaign theme: “Galing sa mahirap, para sa mahirap (From the ranks of the poor, for the poor).”

Teodoro’s slogan, emblazoned below his picture, is: “Galing, Talino: para sa mabilis na pagbabago (Skill and intelligence: for quick change).”

Estrada wears the formal barong Tagalog in his profile picture. His slogan is: “Walang tutulong sa Pilipino kung hindi ang kapwa Pilipino (Filipinos cannot rely on anyone other than themselves).”

All five candidates intentionally put “currently running for president” or “presidential standard-bearer” in their profile information.

Obama-inspired

Facebook defines itself as a social utility that connects people with friends.

The political operators and strategists of the presidential candidates might have been inspired by US President Barack Obama, who managed to raise half a billion dollars online in his 21-month campaign for the presidency.

The digital campaign—the use of e-mail, text messages and social networking sites like Facebook and Multiply—was a big factor in Obama’s victory in 2008.

Relief web - Report

Situation report - 01 Dec 2009 (NCR, Regions I, III, and IV-A)

Source: Community and Family Services International (CFSI)

Date: 01 Dec 2009

Full_Report (pdf* format - 48.8 Kbytes)

Reporting Organization: Community and Family Services International (CFSI)

Report Date: 01 December 2009

Report Description: Update on CFSI field activities in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Ketsana (Ondoy), Typhoon Parma (Pepeng), and Typhoon Mirinae (Santi)

Report Period: 14 October—30 November 2009

Areas Covered: National Capital Region (NCR): Marikina City, Pasig City, and Quezon City

Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): Baguio City and Benguet Province

Region I: Pangasinan Province

Region III: Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales Provinces

Region IV-A: Cainta Municipality, Rizal Province

Highlights

- Beginning 03 October 2009, CFSI deployed its Luzon Emergency Response Team (CFSI-LERT) to assess and respond to the needs of people affected and displaced by Tropical Storm Ketsana (Ondoy) and Typhoon Parma (Pepeng) in NCR, Region IV-A, and Region III. These areas were selected on the basis of perceived humanitarian impact, need for psychosocial support, and reasonable access. CFSI field activity continued and expanded with the onset of Typhoon Mirinae (Santi).

- From 14 October through 30 November, CFSI served the following number of people:

Food: In partnership with WFP and DSWD, CFSI provided food assistance to 48,695 families (243,475 persons) in 34 municipalities in Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales Provinces. The WFP food aid package consists of the standard 25 kg of rice; a few areas received cooking oil and high-energy biscuits as supplemental items.

Health and Psychosocial: (A) 1,000 families (5,000 persons) received CFSI Family Hygiene Kits in the following locations: Cainta, Rizal; Botolan, Zambales; and Calumpit, Bulacan. (B) 35 persons with disabilities (PWDs) received psychosocial care through group sessions on stress management. (C) 58 disaster responders from at least 15 government, non-government, and international organizations participated in stress management training for humanitarian workers.

Child Protection: 470 children participated in safe play activities, storytelling, puppetry, and other structured group activities in Ultra and Kapitolyo evacuation centers (ECs) in Pasig City from 05 through 29 October.

Protection: With UNHCR, CFSI completed a Participatory Protection Assessment with IDPs and affected communities in the following areas: NCR (Marikina City, Pasig City, and Quezon City); Region IV-A (Cainta Municipality, Rizal Province); Region III (Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Zambales Provinces); and Region I (Pangasinan Province). This assessment was also undertaken in cooperation with the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) and St. Louis University (SLU). Findings are being consolidated and will be circulated through the Protection Cluster.

- CFSI reached agreement with UNHCR to carry out a protection project that began on 25 November and will continue through at least May 2010. Under this initiative, CFSI will address the protection needs of affected populations in CAR and Regions I, III, IV-A by undertaking Quick Impact Projects (QIPs), serving especially vulnerable individuals (EVIs), distributing non-food items (NFIs), and providing technical assistance.

- CFSI launched an Emergency Appeal, with the goal of raising USD250,000 (PHP11,250,000) to produce 25,000 Family Hygiene Kits for 25,000 families in NCR, Region III, Region IV-A, and, possibly, Region I. As of report date, As of report date, CFSI has received cash donations and pledges from various organizations and individuals in the Philippines, Germany, Australia, Viet Nam, and the United States. This amount represents almost 14% of the Organization's appeal target.

- CFSI participates in meetings of the IASC Country Team and the meetings of the Food, Protection, Child Protection, Education, and Health Clusters. CFSI submitted proposals to the relevant Cluster Leads in support of the flash appeals process.

Reasons to be voted

Pulse Asia asked their respondents why they were voting for a particular candidate. The five top reasons cited were:

“Hindi kurakot/malinis” (Does not steal/is clean) (21.2 percent);

“May nagawa, may magagawa” (Has done a lot/can do a lot) (14 percent);

“Para sa mahirap, galing sa mahirap” (Pro-poor/comes from the poor) (12.2 percent);

“Tumutulong” (Helps a lot) (12 percent);

“Reputasyon ng pamilya” (Family reputation) (4.2 percent).

Why China Overtook Korea in Shipbuilding

Korean shipbuilders took up the top 10 spots in the global industry in 2006. Back then, No. 5 STX Shipbuilding sought facility expansion. To emerge as a world class shipyard, it needed more than 3.3 million square meters of land, or far more than the 16,500 square meters the company secured around its shipbuilding site in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, for the past five years. Due to uncooperative landowners and thick layers of regulation, the company instead turned toward Dalian, China, which offered better terms. At the same time, world No. 6 Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction decided to build a new shipbuilding site at Subic Bay in the Philippines in the same year. As a result, more than 100,000 new jobs were created overseas, including those generated by partners of Korean companies.

Korea has lost its title of world shipbuilding leader for the first time in 10 years to China. China controlled 34.7 percent of world ship orders excluding those delivered from the total number of orders, or one percentage point more than Korea. Furthermore, Chinese shipbuilders won 142 contracts, or more than half of global orders, this year. China’s success is largely thanks to its domination of the lower-end vessel market with its large foreign reserves and orders placed with Beijing’s support. Though Korea is ahead of China in high value-added areas such as LNG ships and offshore plants, there is no room for complacency. At this pace, China could soon overtake Korea in the two areas.

China took over the world No. 1 spot largely thanks to the passion and dedication of its leadership, which never forgot to visit plants of large conglomerates whenever they came to Korea. For example, then Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao in 1998 visited the plants of Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motors and Hyundai Heavy Industries when visiting Korea. He was followed by Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People`s Congress, who visited the Pyeongtaek plant of LG Electronics in Gyeonggi Province, and the Ulsan factory of Hyundai Motors in South Gyeongsang Province in 2003. In 2007, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao made an unprecedented visit to SK Telecom, leading many experts to speculate that China, dubbed “the world’s factory,” was no longer interested in benchmarking Korea’s manufacturing industry.

While Chinese politicians focused on nurturing their manufacturing sector including electronics, cars and shipbuilding, their Korean counterparts simply indulged in corporate bashing. Regulations forced Korean companies to waste three to five years just to get approval for a plant that took a year to build, but what did Korean politicians do? They strengthened regulations to further stifle corporate activity, such as putting a ceiling on total equity investment and restrictions on investment in the Seoul metropolitan area. These deplorable acts simply reaffirm Korea’s reputation as an impractical country. Unfortunately, this means it could be only a matter of time before China surpasses Korea in cars and electronics, followed by shipbuilding.

Editorial Writer Park Yeong-kyun (parkyk@donga.com)

Thumbs Up For First Philippine Employer To Get DOD Patriot Award

GUAM - Former Guam National Guard Adjutant-General Benny Paulino was quoted in a recent story about the first employer in the Philippines to receive the Department of Defense's Patriot Award.

According to The Philippine Star, South East Asian Airlines Director Nikos Gitsis is 'the man of the hour' for the encouragement that he and his staff gave a U.S. Naval Reserve member now stationed in New York.

The Patriot Award is an honor bestowed on outstanding employers through a DOD agency called the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).

Paulino, who now chairs the ESGR Guam-Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Committee, is quoted in the Star article as underscoring the significant role employers play in the defense of our nation and the security of the world:

"Today, supportive employers are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the US National Guard and Reserve units," said US Army retired Maj. Gen. Benny Paulino, field chairman of the ESGR Guam-Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) Com-mittee.

Maj. Gen. Paulino once served as the adjutant-general of the Guam National Guard, effectively serving as a top tier personnel director helping to ensure combat readiness among Guard Members.

Nowadays, Paulino puts his military experience to use in the private sector as the president and CEO of American Veterans International, LLC. Also known as AVI, the firm specializes in staff augmentation and offers secondary services in Unexploded Ordinance handling, construction and environmental services. Written by Jeff Marchesseault, Guam News Factor Staff Writer

'The Scourge of Climate Change' By Fr Shay Cullen (Olongapo City)

The waters of the great flood of Metro Manila and Laguna may have receded somewhat, yet they have left behind destroyed communities and thousands of impoverished families. The emotional scars remain, caused by the loss of loved ones, children and parents, drowned, and thousands of homes, lovingly built brick by brick collapsed and in ruins. That's the aftermath of the floods.

Lack of prevention has been underlined as the biggest cause of such human suffering. No foresight or emergency response teams were ready. Few trained disasters or emergency medical personnel were available. Billions of public funds that should have developed public safety emergency plans and resources have disappeared through corruption, waste and mismanagement.

Why is it that we have to see the bloated bodies of dead children, parents and heroes, swept away by flood waters and a torrent of national and international criticism before government officials and big business tycoons feel the sting of shame and are forced to act however sluggishly for the public good and not always for there own gain.

Every year there are floods and the engineers, bankers and politicians know why and they know what should have been done. The Manila Times has revealed in an exclusive report a few weeks ago that one major cause of the floods are the alleged corruption riddled delays of a vitally important multi-billion peso flood alleviation project.

The huge mega project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) worth US$14 million, known as the Pasig-Marikina River Improvement Project was supposed to start last 2007 and be complete in 2013 yet hardly a bulldozer has moved or a backhoe mobilized. It is the Marikina Valley that has been most devastated by the floods. We have to research the factors that are causing such disasters, is it incompetence, politicking, corruption? Hundreds have died because of the snail like pace of project implementation.

Likewise the Kamanava Area Flood Control and Drainage System improvement Project in the same area Northeast of Metro Manila worth US$15 million has also been delayed. It was due to be completed last 2007. It is 90.5% complete but until now that vital last section has remained uncompleted due to the haggling and bargaining going on over money and payments for the right of way compensation.

The necessity for such flood control projects is simple, the forests have been cut down, the soil is washing away so there is nothing left to absorb the rains. Corrupt politicians protecting logging companies and promoting the interests of foreign mining companies are behind the loss of 70% of the forest cover of the Philippines over the past 60 years. The archipelago was one massive rain forest at the turn of the century, now it is has just a few scraps left.

Even those remaining forests could be a starting point for regeneration and reforestation, but they too are being hacked to the ground, all laws forbidding it are ignored. Three weeks ago, I saw a huge truck hauling massive cut trees through the heart of Manila.

Reforestation is one of several important things that the G20 nations of global community need to do to slow global warming. The forests and the seas are the great absorbers of the deadly CO2 gas that we generate by burning coal and oil in our power stations and cars. Yet it is too late to reverse global warming by replanting trees alone. Climate change is coming on faster than predicted. We have to turn to renewable sources of energy on a massive scale and stop burning fossil fuel.

While the insatiable and criminal greed of Wall Street financial traders and the irresponsible bankers of the world brought the global economy to the brink of disaster, it is becoming clear they are too powerful to restrain, regulate and control.

Perhaps they could be directed to turn their propensity for profit to funding the next great industrial revolution of renewable energy and the electric car. Such massive investment is needed to save the planet from irreversible climate change and reduce the severity of the floods, droughts and famine that are on the way to the poorest of the poor everywhere. (Preda Center, Upper Kalaklan, Olongapo City, Philippines. E-mail:preda@info.com.ph)

4 senators inhibit selves from anti-dynasty measure

By Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Four senators, who are scions of political families, have strongly expressed their intent to inhibit themselves from the passage of the Anti-Political Dynasty Act that would ban any spouse or relative of an incumbent elective official to run for any elected office.

The senators signed the committee report on the Anti-Political Dynasty Act, but admitted plans to hold it back.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, the bill’s principal sponsor, re-filed the measure just before Congress went into recess last Oct. 14.

The measure is recommended for approval without amendment before the Senate plenary. If passed into law, the measure will be effective in the May 10, 2010 elections.

Sen. Francis Escudero, who bolted last Wednesday from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) in his fight against so-called traditional and party politics, signed the report as chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes and Laws.

He vowed to “sponsor” the measure even if there was “potential conflict of interest” on his part.

Escudero’s father is Salvador Escudero III, a congressman from Sorsogon who was a member of the Marcos cabinet. The senator’s great grandfather, Salvador Sr., and grandfather, Salvador Jr., were also politicians of their time in Casiguran, Sorsogon.

Aside from Escudero, Senators Benigno Simeon Aquino III, Rodolfo Biazon, Loren Legarda, Manuel Roxas II, Jamby Madrigal, Richard Gordon, Lito Lapid, Joker Arroyo and Francis Pangilinan signed the report as committee members.

Sen. Pia Cayetano, also a member of the committee, did not sign the report, notably because her brother, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is also a member of the Senate.

Their father, the late Rene Cayetano, was a senator. Sen. Alan’s wife, Lani, is incumbent congresswoman of Taguig.

Ex-officio members Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. also signed the report.

Although they signed the measure, Lapid, Zubiri, and Estrada separately noted that they “may have to inhibit due to possible conflict of interest,” while Arroyo signed with “serious reservation.”

Aquino, who has been banking on the political influence of his parents, the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and late President Corazon Aquino, in his presidential bid, said he would interpellate on the measure.

Lapid’s son, Mark, is also a former Pampanga governor. The senator is reportedly mulling to leave the Senate and return to Pampanga where he intends to run again for governor next year.

On the other hand, Jinggoy is a member of a political empire founded by his father, former President Joseph Estrada who has declared his bid to run anew for the presidency.

Ex-president Estrada’s wife, Dr. Loi Ejercito, recently retired from politics but without first being elected as senator while the former president was still in jail on plunder charges.

Apart from Jinggoy and Loi, one of the ex-president’s sons with another woman, Juan Victor (JV) Ejercito, is mayor of San Juan.

Zubiri is a scion of Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri Jr. His brother, Jose Ma, Zubiri II and the governor’s nephew Ignacio Zubiri are also involved in local politics in the province.

In Malacañang, President Arroyo is seen as the best example of what political dynasty is. Presidential sons Dato and Juan Miguel Arroyo are representatives of Camarines Sur and Pampanga, respectively. The president’s brother-in-law, Ignacio Arroyo, is a representative of Negros while Rep. Ma. Lourdes Arroyo, another sibling of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, has been accredited recently as a representative of Kasangga party-list group.

Voters’ right to choose leaders

However, the passage of the measure may again be derailed because Congress is in recess until Nov. 8 and will resume session from Nov. 9 to 20.

Congress will have a break again from Nov. 21 to Nov. 30, presumably to allow candidates to file their certificates of candidacy.

During the resumption of session between Dec. 1 to Dec. 18, the lawmakers hands will be full with the continuation of deliberations on the 2010 General Appropriations Act set to be passed before Christmas break on Dec. 19.

By January 2010, candidates for national and local posts are expected to be busy with their respective campaigns.

Before Lacson, the anti-dynasty bill was first advocated by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago who has expressed disappointment over Congress’ dilly-dallying with the passage of the measure in past Congresses.

In his explanatory note for Senate Bill 1468, Lacson lamented that Congress failed to pass the law since its first filing during the 8th Congress because most lawmakers come from “well-entrenched political clans.”

Under the measure, political dynasty refers to the concentration, consolidation or perpetuation of political power by persons related to one another.

“Unfortunately, despite numerous attempts to introduce an anti-political dynasty law (as early as the 8th Congress) to effect electoral reforms and level the political landscape, Congress failed to pass such a law,” Lacson said.

He added that the inaction can be attributed to the fact that many members of Congress came from well-entrenched political clans.

“Over the years, they have successfully argued for the so-called electorate’s right to choose their elected leaders using the oft-repeated principle that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them,” the senator said.

PDEA arrests Australian, 2 Pinoys in Olongapo drug and sex den raid

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (Pdea) agents over the weekend arrested an Australian and two Filipinos in a raid on a drug and sex den in Olongapo City, Zambales.

The drug-enforcement agents, armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Fernando Sagun Jr. of Branch 78 of the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City, arrested Robert Paul Mason, an Australian, and Mark Anthony Quinday and Enrique “Jun” Magsaysay Jr.

They were taken to the PDEA headquarters on National Irrigation Administration Road in East Triangle, Diliman, Quezon City

PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago said a joint team from the elite PDEA Special Enforcement Service, Complaint and Reaction Unit and PDEA Regional Office 3 implemented Search Warrants 4560 and 4561.

Santiago said the operation was conducted at Ces’t La-vie Hotel on Gordon Avenue in Olongapo City at about 12:30 a.m. on Saturday.

PDEA agents confiscated from the suspects six Demerol tablets, several transparent plastic sachets containing methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, a pocket digital weighing scale, a Valium 10-milligram tablet, several drug-use paraphernalia such as disposable lighters, glass tubes, aluminum foil, improvised tooters, disposable syringes and needles for injecting dangerous drugs, and several rounds of 9mm ammunition.

Operatives also rescued five young girls, three of them minors, who were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for proper care and counseling.

“This operation was the result of several months of intelligence operations and continuous surveillance. We are fortunate that no operatives were hurt during the implementation of the search warrants because intelligence reports indicated that the suspects were armed, dangerous and well-connected,” Santiago said.

He added that the suspects will be charged with violation of Section 6 (Maintenance of a Drug Den)

in relation to Section 26 (c) (Attempt or Conspiracy in Maintaining a Drug Den), Article II of Republic Act 9165. Written by Joel Mapiles / Business Mirror Correspondent