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Comelec: 3 million overseas voters eyed in 2025 polls
With internet voting, the Commission on Elections is looking to have up to three million Filipinos abroad participate in the May 2025 midterm elections......»»
Cha-cha plebiscite and midterm polls in one event: A test of Comelec s independence
BOTH LEGISLATIVE chambers are now leading charter change discussions. Legislators have repeatedly said that amendments will be limited to economic measures in the 1987 Constitution.Meanwhile, the conduct of the plebiscite had Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair George Garcia describe the logistical preparations required for it. He argued that it should be held as a separate event from the 2025 midterm electi.....»»
ICC can t probe Philippines drug war, Marcos tells Germany s Scholz
MANILA, The Philippines: This week, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz the International Criminal Court (ICC) has no authority to probe the bloody war against drugs conducted by his predecessor. Marcos discussed the Hague-based ICC's probe during a bilateral meeting with Scholz while visiting Germany. Former President Rodrigo Duterte officially withdrew from the i.....»»
Teves,12 others tagged terrorists
The Anti-Terrorism Council or ATC has designated Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. as a terrorist for allegedly masterminding the assassination of Gov. Roel Degamo last 4 March, which also resulted in the deaths of nine others. The ATC named the congressman, who had gone into hiding, as the leader of the Teves Terrorist Group, which allegedly included as members his younger brother, Pryde Henry Teves, and purported bagman Marvin Miranda. Pryde was unseated by the Commission on Elections after a recount of the votes cast in the 2022 Negros Oriental gubernatorial election showed that Degamo had won. Degamo was killed in a commando-style attack at his residential compound in Pamplona town. The slain governor’s wife, Janice, is the mayor of Pamplona. The assault happened just weeks after the Supreme Court upheld the Comelec’s proclamation of Degamo as governor. Also tagged as terrorists were Nigel Electona, Tomasino Aledro, Rogelio Antipolo, Hannah Mae Oray, Rommel Pattaguan, Winrich Isturis, John Louie Gonyon, Dahniel Lora, Eulogio Gonyon Jr. and Jomarie Catubay. In a three-page resolution dated 26 July and signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin that was released yesterday, the ATC said Pryde and Electona “provided material support” to Teves in furtherance of his alleged terrorist activities. “Investigation also revealed that Hannah Mae Sumero Oray handled the operational funds for the killings while Marvin H. Miranda acted as organizer and recruiter of personnel for specific terrorist attacks,” the ATC said. In April, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla revealed the government’s intention to designate Teves as a terrorist, saying that his group’s alleged “activities that led to the killings are all covered by the Anti-Terror Law, [including] the recruitment, financing, purchase of firearms, and their distribution.” In hiding Teves has refused to come home after being located last in Timor-Leste, claiming his life was in danger. There was talk he was already in the Philippines under the protection of a former high government official. The House of Representatives had twice suspended Teves for refusing to heed Speaker Martin Romualdez’s plea to come home to face the charges against him. The Philippine National Police had filed a separate complaint against Teves before the Department of Justice last March over the alleged political killing of three other persons in Negros Oriental in 2019. A Degamo lawyer said the Teveses could be linked to as many as 60 killings in Negros Oriental. In reaction, Pryde said in a radio interview that his lawyers would appeal the ATC resolution. He expressed dismay that his right to travel and earn a livelihood would be affected by the order. Saying he would not leave Negros Oriental despite the tagging, the younger Teves said he would be the last to resort to terrorism because he had been a victim of violence. Meanwhile, Ferdinand Topacio, a lawyer of Congressman Teves, lambasted the ATC whose order, he said, demonstrated the government’s prejudgment of the case and “desperation” to take his client into custody. “Since day one of the Degamo killing, the government has mobilized all the resources at its disposal, starting with immediately tagging Teves as the mastermind thereof without investigation, conducting illegal searches on his properties, laying siege to his powers and prerogatives as a member of the House, embarking on a massive media campaign to discredit him and prejudice the minds of the public against him, among other things, all in an obsessive attempt to blame him for a crime at the expense of his constitutional rights,” Topacio said. Topacio questioned why the government had to use the ATC against Teves, in a case for which the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020 was not “designed.” “The agencies of government, having eggs on their faces due to the recantation of all the key witnesses, the lack of evidence against Representative Teves, the public backlash against his obvious persecution, and the embarrassing failure of the authorities to bully him into returning to the country in spite of grave and serious threats to his life has expectedly weaponized the Anti-Terror Act by using it for the purpose for which it was not designed,” he said. When it was first floated that Teves would be tagged as a terrorist, he posted a video of himself wearing Muslim garb and laughing. The post Teves,12 others tagged terrorists appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Why Marcos joined Partido Federal
Partido Federal ng Pilipinas secretary general, retired General Thompson Lantion, said because of the effective core principles that the party promotes and embodies, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. embraced it as his official party when he joined it and won the presidential race in the May 2022 elections. Lantion, during his recent interview on Daily Tribune’s digital show “Straight Talk,” said the reason Marcos joined the party was that he believed in its core principles. “Our number one principle is the belief in God, number 2 is humanism, which is human dignity for every individual. Number three is participatory federalism or to defend the core principles of Federalism, and then enlightened socialism with a focus on job generation and uplifting the lives of the Filipino people. And then the last one is direct democracy as we call it. This is the power of the people. The principle most loved by the President is the power to the people and democracy,” he said. Lantion, who served on the staff of the late former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., said the young Marcos Jr. took his oath as a party member on 5 October 2018, the same day it was accredited by the Comelec. “I was in his campaign from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi. It was very difficult back then. We were sure he would win because of the acceptance of the people, just like our first sortie in Batangas. The highways were filled with people who wanted to see him, maybe because of the charm and the vision of the old Marcos Sr. remains in Bongbong. Marcos Sr. was really for the country’s development and progress, which stuck in Filipinos’ minds. And the junior can do better,” he said. True gentleman He said he never heard the young Marcos Jr. curse or make derogatory comments about his opponents during the 2022 campaign. “What Bongbong said is that even “if our family has been scrutinized and hit for more than 30 years now, those will eventually retire. Let’s stand down.” He is like his father, who just said “lintik naman” (damn it) even though he was already very mad. The old Marcos was soft-hearted but very strict,” Lantion said. He said he is currently revitalizing the party and declined the offer of the President of a post in his Cabinet. “I’m strengthening the party and that was the reason I gave the President. I had to forgo the assignment that was offered by the President. Right now, almost 21 governors of the Philippines have joined the Partido Federal, and maybe in the next months, another three or more governors will join. A total of 31 have taken their oath in Malacañang,” he said. Four years after its accreditation, the PFP has become the ruling party and leader of the administrative coalition after it nominated party chairman Marcos Jr. as its presidential candidate. Marcos eventually emerged as the winner by a landslide of 31 million votes versus his staunch opponent, former Vice President Leni Robredo. On its website, the PFP said the party is the “common man’s party” that represents workers, students, farmers, and fisherfolk. It was established to help rebuild the nation decisively by creating a society that is free of illegal drugs, corruption, crime, insurgency, and poverty. The party’s strength comes from a total of 1.5 million members, growing nationwide, from which the following organizations were formed, apart from solid youth groups collaborating on the party’s platform and 350 candidates in the 2019 elections. The post Why Marcos joined Partido Federal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
An Waray seeks reversal of Comelec decision on partylist cancellation
Regional partylist group An Waray filed a motion for reconsideration challenging the Commission on Elections Second Division’s cancellation of their partylist registration over a questioned assumption of a seat by one of their former nominee way back in 2013. Filed on Monday but was only revealed to the media by Comelec the following day, An Waray is seeking a reversal of the poll body’s decision last Friday, arguing that the partylist gained two seats during the 2013 midterm elections. This, according to An Waray, made the assumption of then-nominee Atty. Victoria Isabel Noel as one of their representatives in Congress legal. To recall, Noel was the then-third nominee during the 2013 midterm elections when An Waray won with 541,205 votes and garnered two seats. However, the resignation of then-second nominee Jude Acidre elevated Noel as the new second nominee, behind then-first nominee Neil Benedict Montejo. However, a recomputation by the National Board of Canvassers, the cancellation of registration of 11 partylists, and the proclamation of Abang Lingkod Partylist as a winner in that year’s polls after a Supreme Court battle led to An-Waray garnering only one seat in Congress, effectively allowing only Montejo and excluding Noel. The partylist also cited the recent decisions on Erwin Tulfo’s assumption of House seat as representative of Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support, arguing that the proclamation was made for the partylist and not for individual nominees like Noel. An-Waray also said that the two seats were granted in accordance with NBOC Resolution No. 0008-13, which canceled the registration of 11 partylists after the 2013 midterm elections. “The respondents disagree and submit that a separate proclamation of a specific nominee is not material nor required for the said nominee to take an oath and assume the office of Member of the House of Representatives,” the motion reads. Arguing that Noel’s assumption of the House seat is legal, An-Waray said that the jurisdiction on such matters should go to the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal or HRET. The petition against Noel’s assumption of the House seat was filed in 2019 by Acidre and Danilo Pornias. Acidre currently represents Tingog Sinirangan Partylist, a Waray-based partylist similar to An Waray, in the House of Representatives. An Waray also has a representative in the Lower House through Congressman Florencio “Bem” Noel. Comelec previously said that the HRET shall have the decision on the issue, using the poll body’s decision as the basis for their actions. The post An Waray seeks reversal of Comelec decision on partylist cancellation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
An Waray to counter Comelec decision
The An Waray Partylist will counter the decision of the Commission on Elections to revoke its registration for violating the rules and regulations of the poll body by allowing the group’s then-second nominee to sit as a member of the House of Representatives despite having only one seat in the 16th Congress. An Waray Rep. Florencio Noel told the Daily Tribune that they would exhaust all legal measures and including filing a Motion for Reconsideration within the five-day reglementary period given by the Comelec, which began on Friday, to stave off the ruling from becoming final and executory. The plea was triggered by the Comelec’s cancellation of the group’s registration after it found that the An Waray former representative, lawyer Isabel Noel, sister of the incumbent solon of the partylist, committed an offense when she assumed the post of a lawmaker in the 16th Congress, “knowing ‘full well’ that the Comelec has not issued a certificate of proclamation entitling her to do so,” said the poll body on Friday. “Without a Certificate of Proclamation for its second nominee, An Waray was entitled to one seat only in relation to the 2013 National and Local Elections, thus Atty. Noel’s assumption to office as Representative of An Waray had no legal basis,” the Comelec added. The poll body’s declaration followed a 15-page resolution that granted Jude Acidre and Danilo Pornias’ plea filed in 2019 to void An Waray’s accreditation as a partylist, barring it from further participation in the House. To recall, An Waray, in the 2013 polls, was initially entitled to two seats in the lower chamber after being proclaimed as one of the winners of the partylist race but was subsequently recomputed to be one seat only pursuant to National Board of Canvassers Resolution No. 13-030(PL)/004-14 issued on 20 August 2014. “The recomputation of seats was made following the Supreme Court’s order, in Abang Lingkod Party List vs. Comelec, to proclaim Abang Lingkod party-list as one of the winning party-list groups in the 2013 National and Local Elections with the number of seats it may be entitled to, and in view of the then-pendency of the case of Senior Citizens party-list before the Supreme Court,” it said. Further, the polling organization noted that the 28 May 2013, NBC Resolution 0008-13, which An Waray solely relied on, expressly stated that the initial allocation of seats initially allocated is “without prejudice to the proclamation of other parties, organizations, or coalitions which may later on be established to be entitled to one guaranteed seat and/or additional seat.” Thus, Comelec explained that An Waray “clearly” violated Republic Act 7941 or the Party-List System Act, “by arrogating upon itself the authority” to have the lawyer sit in the 16th Congress without legal basis. Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco on Friday noted that the lower chamber has the jurisdiction to expel any member who fails to continually possess all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications. The post An Waray to counter Comelec decision appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Comelec revokes An-Waray partylist registration
The Commission on Elections Second Division on Friday cancelled the party-list registration of regional party-list group An Waray over a violation of Section 6 (5) of Republic Act Number 7941 or the "Partylist System Act." The cancellation stemmed from the assumption of another seat in the House of Representatives in 2013 by Attorney Victoria Isabel Noel, despite the partylist having been allowed only one seat, which was challenged in 2019 by two petitioners including Jude Acidre, former nominee of An Waray. Noel was the then-third nominee during the 2013 midterm elections when An Waray won with 541,205 votes and garnered two seats. At the time, the first and second nominees were Neil Benedict Montejo and Acidre, respectively. But the latter resigned from the party, effectively elevating Noel as second nominee. However, a recomputation by the National Board of Canvassers, the cancellation of registration of 11 partylists and the proclamation of Abang Lingkod Partylist as a winner in that year’s polls after a Supreme Court battle led to An-Waray garnering only one seat in Congress, effectively allowing only Montejo and excluding Noel. The petitioners said that Noel, citing NBOC Resolution No. 0008-13 which cancelled the registration of 11 partylists, took her oath on July 2013 and that she held that position without any intervention. The COMELEC said that NBOC Resolution No. 0008-13 was superseded by NBOC Resolution No. 13-030(PL)/0004-14, the resolution that prompted the recomputation of An Waray’s seats in the Lower House from two to one. “Pursuant to the foregoing, the Commission En Banc sitting as the NBOC did not issue a Certificate of Proclamation to An Waray, entitling its second nominee, Atty. Victoria Isabel Noel, to sit as representative in the House of Representatives in relation to the 13 May 2013 National and Local Elections,” the decision read. In a message to reporters, COMELEC spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said that the decision is yet to become final and executory. However, upon reaching finality, the poll body will then notify the House of Representatives and their electoral tribunal for their decision, particularly as the 19th Congress currently has a member of An Waray through Representative Florencio Gabriel Noel. “Both the House and the HRET may use as basis the COMELEC's resolution and factual findings on the matter,” Laudiangco said. “We have to remember that An Waray's nominee is a sitting member of the HOR, and we have to clearly define the bounds of jurisdictions between the COMELEC, the HOR and the HRET,” he added. The post Comelec revokes An-Waray partylist registration appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Comelec pushes Internet voting
Commission on Elections chairman George Erwin Garcia on Tuesday reiterated the needed push for Internet voting as a means to ramp up the turnout in overseas voting during a forum titled “Beyond Suffrage: A Forum on Women and Overseas Voting” led by the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Overseas Voting Secretariat. In his speech, Garcia urged implementing agencies, including the DFA which primarily handles OAV activities to promote newer technologies as it is already allowed by law and that It could bring significant results to the country’s overseas voting records. “It is our conclusion that we should no longer wait for a law to be enacted before Comelec would be able to venture into Internet voting or electronic voting,” Garcia said. “We should get outside of the box or even remove the box so to speak to proceed with Internet voting despite the absence of the law because it is provided by the law itself,” he added. Comelec last week approved the adoption of internet voting for the conduct of OAV, but they are yet to define the technologies that will be used for the measure which they are aiming to implement on the 2025 midterm elections. This year also marks the 20th year since the passage of Republic Act 9189 or “The Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003,” which laid the guidelines for the conduct of primarily mail-in voting in the Philippines, but allowed Comelec to study modern technologies, as stated in Section 16 of the legislation. This law was eventually amended in Republic Act 10590 in 2013. According to DFA Overseas Voting Secretariat Zoilo Velasco, OAV turnout have increased through the years, with last year’s polls having a high voter turnout of 40.59 percent, translating to 688,961 voters who casted their ballots. However, as Garcia previously argued, the said number is still far from the 1.7 million registered Filipinos overseas. He also reported a significant decrease in overseas voter registration for the 2019 and the upcoming 2025 elections, having more than 174,000 and nearly 26,000 registrants respectively. Velasco said that the turnout in voting and voter registration should be a step for policymakers to consider policies that would aid in improving the system of overseas voting. “We will continue to do our best and register as many people as we can. We are requesting for more funding so that we could be able to register more. We will do everything we can. If there’s a decline in overseas registration, it is for some external reasons. This is also an important input for policymakers because they should be able to come up with out of the box solutions such as online registration,” Velasco said. In terms of election security, COMELEC Office for Overseas Voting Director Sonia Bea Wee-Lozada also argued that modern technologies such as internet voting has protective mechanisms that could prevent discrepancies and threats to the conduct of the polls. “We have evidence to show that there are existing technologies and platforms out there that allow us to exercise our right to vote in a secure and auditable way, with the transparency that our laws demand. There are technologies that would be able to fit our requirements,” Wee-Lozada explained. The DFA-OVS forum also provided a platform for representatives from Mexico, Hongkong, South Korea and Ontario, Canada to discuss their practices in overseas voting and womens’ participation in the polls and in public governance. The post Comelec pushes Internet voting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Comelec: 98,000 voting machines ‘unserviceable’
The Commission on Elections has declared the vote counting machines or VCM used in the 2016, 2019 and 2022 elections as “unserviceable.”.....»»
Comelec urges poll registrants to observe health protocols
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is reminding poll registrants for the December 5 synchronized Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and Barangay elections to strictly observe the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) health protocol."We remind them to always wear th.....»»
High Court sustains Comelec ruling on party-list winners
The Supreme Court has sustained the proclamation by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) of the winning party-list groups in the 2019 national elections......»»
SC upholds Comelec proclamation of 51 winning party-lists in 2019 polls
The Supreme Court has upheld validity of the Commission on Election’s proclamation of party-list winners of the 2019 midterm elections and retained the formula in computing seats for party-list representative at the lower House......»»
Voters registration balik na sa GCQ, MGCQ areas
Manila, Philippines – Magpapatuloy na ang Voter registration sa mga lugar na bumaba na ang quarantine level simula sa Setyembre 1, ayon sa Commission on Elections said Saturday habang ipapatupad ang health and safety protocols sa mga lugar dahil sa umiiral na coronavirus disease 2019 o COVID-19 pandemic. Ayon kay Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, para […] The post Voters registration balik na sa GCQ, MGCQ areas appeared first on REMATE ONLINE......»»
Ex-Comelec chief Abalos gets virus
Former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. and his wife, Corazon, have contracted the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, Mandaluyong Mayor Menchie Abalos announced yesterday......»»
Ex-Comelec chair Abalos, wife positive for COVID-19
Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos on Friday revealed that her father-in-law – former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos – and his wife have tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a statement, Abalos said that the that the results of her in-laws’ tests were released Friday morning, adding that said the […] The post Ex-Comelec chair Abalos, wife positive for COVID-19 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Akbayan to Sara: You don’t have to be president to speak vs China
MANILA, Philippines — Party-list group Akbayan said on Thursday that Vice President Sara Duterte does not have to be a president of the country for her to call out China’s intrusive actions over the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Empathy and a moral backbone is just what it takes to stand up with fisherfolk and frontline.....»»
Roque bares Duterte, China agreement to respect status quo in WPS
Roque bares Duterte, China agreement to respect status quo in WPS.....»»
7 nanlaban drug suspects dead after Baste Duterte declares drug war
Less than a week after Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte declared a "war on drugs" in the city, at least seven drug suspects were killed during a buy-bust operation in the city — violence that highlights the seriousness of the mayor's recent threat of outright killing persons caught using illegal drugs......»»
Marcos tells Filipinos to serve others during Holy Week
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s message to Filipinos during Holy Week encourages tham to "serve others.".....»»