by magnolia_eic | May 25, 2010 | Election 2010, Headlines, National News
FOR the unauthorized possession of a Compact Flash (CF) card, a Quezon city lawmaker may be in hot water.
Commission on Elections (COMELEC) through spokesperson James Jimenez said the poll boady is contemplating on filing charges to Quezon City Representative Annie Rosa Susano for her possession of CF cards, which were supposed to be used in the last May 10 polls.
Representative Susano alleged that the cards were used to rig the Quezon City mayoralty poll results, which made her lose to actor and incumbent vice mayor Herbert Bautista.
Asked by Smartmatic Asia president Cesar Flores where she got the CF Cards, Susano retorted back that it was not her problem but Smartmatic’s.
The Comelec has issued the statement since CF cards were supposed to be kept by authorized persons only.
The matter of the CF cards popped up after the house of representatives conducted hearings in the alleged poll fraud. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | May 25, 2010 | Headlines, National News, Weather Coverage
TWO weather systems are expected to dump rains in the country this week, signaling a rest from scorching summer heat, but the rainy season is far from starting yet.
According to reports quoting Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) senior weather forecaster Robert Sawi, the weather bureau has spotted a frontal system that is expected to dump rains over the western section of Northern Luzon on Wednesday or Thursday, while an inter-tropical convergence will bring rains over Mindanao.
But Pagasa administrator Prisco Nilo also said no extreme weather disturbance is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility this week.
Warm weather will also prevail until the end of the month or until a tropical cyclone signals the start of the rainy season next month.
Nilo earlier said chances that a La Niña phenomenon may occur this year rose 35 percent.
La Niña is a weather phenomenon that brings excessive rainfall, reports said. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | May 25, 2010 | Headlines, National News
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s peace initiatives in Mindanao have paid off and mechanisms are in place for the next administration to build upon the gains to sustain peace and development in the region, Secretary Jesus Dureza, chairman of the newly-created Mindanao Development Authority (MDA) said on Monday during a media briefing in Malacanang.
Dureza added that the ceasefire between government forces and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been holding and has contributed to the right atmosphere necessary for the peace negotiations.
Meanwhile, Dureza said the President has tasked the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to continue helping some 80,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) temporarily housed in the 56 evacuation centers mostly in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Dureza said a number of humanitarian institutions, foreign and international entities and even the MILF are actively helping government efforts to restore normalcy in the lives of these IDPs.
As it is now, Dureza said the worst is over in the peace problem in Mindanao, although there is still much to be done to fully develop and sustain peace there.
Amid this period of what he calls as one of “guarded optimism” among Mindanaoans, Dureza said they have come up with a Mindanao 2020 Plan which is a product of dialogues, consultations and groups discussions from among all sectors in Mindanao. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | May 25, 2010 | Headlines, National News
MAS maayo nga maandam na sa mga pamuno sa balay ang mga I-tubag sa mga magtutudlo nga gisangonan sa National Statistics Office (NSO) nga mohimo sa census ning tuig 2010.
Butyag ni Jessamyn Anne Alcazaren, hepe sa NSO dinhi, mas mapadali kon ang tagbalay nga motubag sa mga nagcensus nasuheto na sa mga tinuod nga ngalan sa nagpuyo sa iyang panimalay, ang ilang sex, adlaw nga natawhan, edad, petsa sa pagkarehistro, kahimtang o status, relihiyon, citizenship.
Ipangutana usab ang nanimuyo sa balay sa milabay’ng lima ka tuig, ug ang labing taas nga grading nakab-ot sa mga sakop sa balay.
Walay angay kahadlokan sa mga pangutana kay walay labut niini ang kahimtang ekonomikanhon o kita sa mga tagbalay, pasabot ni Alcazaren.
Kini samtang magpadayon ang pagcensus sa mga populasyon ug kabalayan gikan niadtong Mayo 17 hangtud sa Julyo 11. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | May 25, 2010 | Election 2010, Headlines, National News
AN alleged victim of vote-shaving in the May 10 automated elections, administration standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro Jr. has called for an investigation into allegations of fraud by an unidentified witness.
Teodoro, fourth in the ongoing tally of the presidential race, said he wanted a deeper inquiry into the claims of the masked witness in the interest of truth and to remove taints on the credibility of the country’s first automated elections.
“In the interest, therefore, of transparency which is a standard that we cherish in governance, I request all concerned to take the necessary steps in order to determine the truth of the allegations made by the whistleblower because if proven correct, they seriously affect the integrity of the election. If, on the contrary, there is no closure to this controversy, there will always be a lingering doubt on the outcome of the election,” Teodoro said in a statement Friday.
Teodoro has conceded to front-runner Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
The witness, described by Makati Representative Teodoro Locsin Jr., as a “koala bear,” said the votes of Teodoro, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino’s Joseph Estrada and Bangon Pilipinas’ Eddie Villanueva were shaved to benefit dilaw, or yellow, Aquino’s campaign color.
by magnolia_eic | May 25, 2010 | Headlines, National News
The Department of Education (DepEd) announced Friday that private elementary and high schools will not increase tuition fees for the school year 2010 to 2011.
“Since we have not received any request, our belief is no (private) schools will increase tuition fees. So far, good news!” DepEd Secretary Mona Valisno said in an interview.
She said they expect at least 22 million elementary and high school students this year, more than 1 million compared to last year’s elementary and secondary student population.
Valisno said that the DepEd’s problem in textbooks have been solved as they expect a 1:1 book per student ratio this year. New books will also be acquired by the DepEd with donations from the private sector that has reached P7 billion.
Meanwhile, the DepEd needs to build this year 5,123 more classrooms and 800,000 school chairs for public elementary and high schools.
Valisno said they are confident that with the help of the parents, non-government organizations and the private sector, the government will be able to acquire the basic needs of the students. (PIA-Bohol)
