by magnolia_eic | Jun 23, 2010 | Headlines, Major Events
A SIMPLE inauguration, and one that hews to tradition. This is what President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III wants.
On June 30, there will be no sit-down dinner, just an inaugural reception, with a working lunch before Aquino’s first Cabinet meeting.
Aquino’s inauguration will be held at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park (formerly Luneta) in Manila.
Aquino will take his presidential oath at the grandstand in front of the Independence Flagpole and the Rizal Monument.
His inaugural speech will focus on restoring honesty and integrity in public service.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), meanwhile, will release a list of visiting heads of state who will be there for the inauguration.
Three East Asian leaders have confirmed their attendance at Aquino’s inauguration. They are Thai Prime Minister Aphisit Vejjajiva, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, and East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Feb 3, 2010 | Election 2010, Headlines, Major Events, National News
Manila, Philippines — Less than a hundred days before the May 10 general elections, Senators Aquino and Villar are now statistically tied, according to the January 2010 Pulse Asia survey.
The nationwide survey of 1,800 Filipinos of voting age, with a margin of error of plus or minus two percent, also showed vice-presidentiable Mar Roxas II pulling away from his nearest rival and fellow senator, Loren Legarda.
The survey conducted last January 22 to 26 showed that Aquino was the choice of 37 percent of the respondents while Villar got the 35 percent.
Apart from Aquino and Villar, the voters’ preference for the other presidential bets were: Estrada, 12 percent; former defense secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, 5 percent; evangelist Eduardo “Eddie” Villanueva, 2 percent; Senator Richard “Dick”Gordon, 1 percent; Senator Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal, 0.5 percent; Councilor John Carlos “JC” De Los Reyes, 0.3 percent; little known Vetaliano “Dodong” Acosta, 0.2 percent; and environmentalist Nicanor “Nick” Perlas, 0.05 percent.
Based on a predetermined set of reasons for their choice, the respondents said their bet was “not corrupt or has a clean record” (24 percent) and “cares for the poor” (also 24 percent).
Competence – as expressed in the survey as “can do something, is doing something, will do something” (16 percent), “used to governing” (6 percent), and “knowledgeable/intelligent” (4 percent) – did not rank high among the reasons for respondents’ choices.
On the race for the second highest post in the land, Roxas took 47 percent of the respondents’ votes, giving him a good lead over Legarda, with 28 percent. Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay was third with 13 percent.
The other vice-presidential bets’ voters’ preference were: former Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani “BF” Fernando, 2 percent; actor Eduardo “Edu” Manzano, also 2 percent; former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Perfecto “Kidlat” Yasay, 1 percent; broadcaster Jose “Jay” Sonza, 0.2 percent; and Ang Kapatiran’s Dominador “Jun” Chipeco, 0.07 percent.
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by magnolia_eic | Feb 2, 2010 | Election 2010, Major Events, National News
THE Commission on Elections has set on Feb. 11, 2010 the organization of Special Boards of Canvassers (SBC) in each of the more than 100 countries where there are overseas Filipino workers qualified to vote under the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003.
Under the law, overseas absentee voters are qualified to vote for President, Vice-President, Senators and groups accredited to participate in the party-list elections. They are, however, not qualified to vote for governor, congressman, mayor and other local elective officials.
The Comelec said that except in Singapore and Hong Kong, overseas absentee voting will be conducted manually by the Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEIs) while the SBC, subject to reasonable exceptions, is mandated to complete the canvass of election returns submitted by SBEIs within 36 hours.
The SBC is required, after canvassing, to prepare eight copies of the Certificates of Canvass for President, Vice-President, Senators, and Party-List Representatives, according to Commissioner Armando Velasco, chairman of the Comelec Committee on Overseas Absentee Voting. (PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Feb 1, 2010 | Entertainment, Major Events
Agence France Press
First posted: 12:40:00;02/01/2010
LOS ANGELES, California, United States—Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” won the Album of the Year Award at the 52nd Grammy Awards here Sunday.
The young country singer’s album beat out competition from Beyonce, the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, and the Dave Matthews Band.
by magnolia_eic | Jan 26, 2010 | Election 2010, Headlines, Major Events, National News
AS to the raging C-5 road controversy staining presidential timber Manny Villar, a friend and political ally of the beleaguered senator hints, time will play against those who wish to implicate Villar.
Sen. Joker Arroyo shared that time will be with them in the remaining session days left to dispose of the report on C-5 road extension mess.
The senator doubts the Senate would come to an argument and said the Senate committee of the whole members showed they could not decide upon themselves.
Arroyo points out disagreements on matters concerning procedure and cited the manner in which the senators would tackle the report prepared for the Senate committee of the whole.
The report is 84 pages, has over 500 pages of exhibits and covers 19 sessions.
He said the senate needs to agree which one to take up first, the committee report or the resolution. He added the mere issue of a quorum has already caused so much trouble. (PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Jan 26, 2010 | Election 2010, Major Events, National News
The country’s Commission on Elections have shrugged the insinuations of a failed automated elections even as the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) aired concerns over the preparations for the first nationwide computerized elections.
The CBCP through Bishop Nereo Odchimar spelled serious questions about the reliability and integrity of the equipment and the personnel involved have not been satisfactorily answered.
In a pastoral statement issued, the CBCP asks for an alternative system that should be put in place.
By shrugging over what it termed as apocalyptic predictions, Commission on Elections Chair Jose Melo called for sobriety adding that the predictions are not helping.
We should all calm down and soon, we will see that our objectives will be attained,” Melo said. (PIA)
