Manila, Philippines — Fomer President Joseph Estrada’s candidacy for this year’s elections has finally been approved by the Commission on Elections. The case filed by Evelio Pormento was dismissed Wednesday. Estrada’s camp believes that the decision of the COMELEC will help boost the former President’s ratings in surveys.
Manila, Philippines — Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero has given his support behind Partido ng Masang Pilipino’s vice presidential candidate Makati Mayor Jejomar “Jojo” Binay, but apparently will not back the party’s standard bearer,former President Joseph Estrada.
In an interview with Inquirer, the vice presidentiable confirmed that Escudero was joining his campaign, but noted however that it was “not a package deal”. This meant that Escudero made no commitment to support Estrada.
Sources have been telling that Escudero is to support presidentiable Noynoy Aquino, and Binay responds to this as precisely the reason why his party has yet to decide on Escudero’s actual campaign role. Supporting another presidentiable might eat up most of his time. Binay haas considered Escudero a great asset to his campaign team.
Escudero and Binay were part of Poe’s campaign team in 2004 as spokesperson and campaign manager, respectively.
Davao City, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has disqualified at least 100 voters in the city’s first district. The district had the biggest voting population, a result of having registered twice.
Acting election officer of 1st District Davao, Atty. Danilo Cullo said Tuesday, that election officials have discovered that the double registrants took advantage of the extended voters’ list up.
Cullo said after having reviewed the list of registrants, they found out some questionable names enlisted. “They must have thought they can fool the COMELEC” Cullo said.
Davao’s first district—which included the downtown area—is the largest among the three congressional districts of the city.
As of 2007, its population has already reached 513,015.
It is the district that Speaker Prospero Nograles represents. Nograles is running for mayor against the daughter of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Nograles’ son is running for congressman against Mayor Duterte.
Manila, Philippines — Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino was branded a liar by rival Senator Manny Villar on Monday for saying that the latter did not take any lead in questioning the scandals that surrounded the present administration.
Villar claims that he has led three of the biggest investigations against the Arroyo Administration while he was the Senate President. He also pointed out fellow party-mates former Congressman Gilbert Remulla and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who were both involved in the investigation of the “hello Garci” tapes.
Quezon Representative and LP Spokesman Lorenzo “Erin” Tanada III has joined the word war taking a swipe at Remulla who attacked Aquino for not actively taking a stand against PGMA.
The word war between the two presidential hopefuls erupted after Aquino expressed doubts on the December 27 to 28 survey of the Social Weather Station, which showed a two-point drop from his previous 46 percent rating in the December 5 to 10 survey of the SWS.
SOME nine million voters who may have missed voters’ registration deadlines set last October 31 have their final chances as the Supreme Courts tells the elections body: reopen voters registration starting December 21 until January 9.
But reports from the Bohol Comelec office however bared that Election Commissioner and lawyer Eliseo Labaria accordingly said he would await for the officials go signal from higher Comelec office to start the implementation.
Whenever it arrives, the holiday break may well be the perfect time for registering, as the High Court declares null Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 8585.
The resolution fixed the deadline of voters registration last October 31.
Via its nine-page decision, Associate Justice Conchita Carpio Morales wrotes, the High Court directs the Comelec “to proceed with dispatch in reopening the registration of voters and hold the same until January 9, 2010.”
With the decision immediately executory, the SC cited the Voter’s Registration Act of 1996, which says the Congress has determined that the period of 120 days before a regular election and 90 days before a special election.
Such is to give enough time for Comelec to make all the necessary preparations with respect to the coming elections.
The 120-day period starts on January 10, 2010. Thus, the deadline of application for registration of voters should be on January 9, 2010, and not October 31, 2009 which is 70 days earlier than what the law provides.
In Bohol, sometime few months agoi, Kabataan Party-list representative Raymond V. Palatino revealed he has petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify the Comelec resolution for being unconstitutional.
The COMELEC ruling reportedly usurps the power of Congress to legislate.
On another hand, the Comelec fixed the deadline of registration on October 31, 2009 to better prepare for the 2010 elections.
The COMELEC needs to complete voting precincts, constitute the Board of Election Inspectors, finalize computerized voters list, supervise the campaign period and prepare, bid, print and distribute voter’s information sheets. (PIA)
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Oplan is for political candidates must be the role model in complying with their tax obligations.
BIR is mandated under Revenue Regulations No. 8-2009 dated October 22, 2009, to strictly monitor the withholding tax payments of five per cent on campaign-related expenditures of political parties, campaign contributors and candidates for the forthcoming local and national elections.
The five per cent creditable withholding tax is not a tax on the candidate, political party or contributor but a tax on the income of the supplier of goods and services. It is collected through the candidates, political parties and contributors by the latter deducting the tax from the agreed transaction price upon making the payment and remit such amount to the BIR. (BIR/PIA)
