by magnolia_eic | Apr 20, 2010 | Announcements, Election 2010, World
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) urged Sunday Filipino migrants to vote early and not wait for the May 10 deadline for overseas absentee voting (OAV), citing about 30,000 Filipinos abroad who have already cast their votes for this year’s polls.
“We are encouraging registered overseas absentee voters to exercise their hard-earned right of suffrage, so they can be involved in deciding who will compose our next set of national leaders come July. We also urge them to vote now, in order to avoid last minute queues at the polling places,” DFA Undersecretary for Special Concerns and OAV-Secretariat (OAVS) chairman Rafael Seguis urged.
Seguis disclosed that there were almost 30,000 Filipinos who have exercised their right to vote in the first week of overseas absentee voting, which started on April 10 and will commence on May 10 in 93 Philippine Embassies and Consulates General around the world. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Apr 19, 2010 | Election 2010, Features, Local News / Bohol Balita
ONE congressional representative, three town mayors and two vice mayors are virtual winners before could be voted upon, and automation has nothing to do with it.
While some 1,234 other candidates in Bohol are burning rubber exhausting energies to persuade voters into rooting for them in the campaign trail, these six politicians might as well prepare for their separate victory parties.
The country’s former Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap (Bohol’s third District) and incumbent mayors Dominisio Chatto of Balilihan town, Roberto Salinas of Catigbian and Thomas Louis Gonzaga of Danao all run unopposed and have the top seats handed to them in silver platter.
23 days into the country’s first automated national and elections, these candidates are now devoting their spare time campaigning for their slates to assure them of more allies as their new mandates start July 1.
Aside from Yap’s sure seat, eight other candidates vie for the two remaining congressional seats in Bohol in a political “Trip to Jerusalem” of sorts.
Some five candidates throw their hats for the single gubernatorial seat while four more are eyeing at being the chief presiding officer in the province’s highest legilslative body, data from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) show.
Another 28 candidates are vying for the 10 seats as district Board Members: 10 of them from District 1, eight from District 2 and another 10 from District 3.
Discounting the three sure winners for mayoralty seats, some 107 candidates would be politically slugging it out to sit in opened 45 mayoralty seats in 47 towns and a city.
Aside from Vice Mayor Jose Cepedoza of Danao who has sealed his seat when he ran unopposed, some 113 vice mayoralty candidates would be sweating wits to outsmart co-candidates into the voter preference count.
Meanwhile, some 964 candidates for councilors would be restless until the eve of the elections, wooing voters through intelligence, charm and talent to be elected.
Only 384 of them would be lucky enough to get into the 48 town and city councils.
At the prospect, election supervisor Labaria said it would be historic if in Bohol, we could do away with the sore loser and for those who lost to gracefully concede. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Apr 15, 2010 | Election 2010, Headlines, National News
Party-list group Alyansa ng Media at Showbiz (AMS) asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to approve early voting of the members of the media Wednesday.
In a three-page petition, the party reasoned that media workers might not be able to vote on election day because they have to work to cover the polls.
“The worst thing that could happen to a Filipino citizen is to be deprived of his right to vote,” the group said.
The group asked the Comelec to allow members of the media to vote during their systems test, and use this opportunity to identify problems in the use of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.
The media, on the other hand, will be better informed about the voting process before the actual synchronized national elections.
The group also petitioned that the votes cast during the systems test period be counted as official. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Apr 15, 2010 | Election 2010, Headlines, National News
To thwart possible attacks against members of the judiciary, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Commission on Elections to exempt over 2,000 judges nationwide from the coverage of the election gun ban.
The call came in the wake of separate bombing attacks that might have targeted judges Silvino Pampilo Jr. of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26 and Leo Principe of the Basilan Regional Trial Court Branch 1.
In an interview with reporters, SC administrator and spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said the high tribunal “condemns in the strongest possible term” the twin attacks.
The Comelec implemented the nationwide gun ban last January 10 to avert election-related violence. Marquez said he made the request as early as January, but the poll body has yet to act on the matter.
“We reiterate to the Comelec our call to review its policy that disallows a gun ban exemption on our judges. We have been asking this since,” Marquez said.
He added that the exemption would enable judges to handle controversial cases without fear of retaliatory attacks from aggrieved parties and litigants, especially during the election period. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Apr 13, 2010 | Election 2010, Headlines, National News
Cebu City — Liberal Party standard bearer Benigno “Noynoy ” Aquino returned Tuesday to one of the country’s vote-rich provinces — Cebu.
Noynoy was accompanied by running mate, Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and a couple of members from their senatorial slate.
His morning itenerary included guestings at some local TV and radio shows and then a press conference at the city hall.
In the afternoon, there is a sheduled motorcade from Carcar to Talisay before a grand rally in front of Talisay City Hall.
Click here for article from Inquirer.net
