Campaign Day 45: Noisiest circus starts

Thursday, Campaign Day 45, was the last day for the filing of candidacy for those seeking local elective posts and local bets trying to beat the deadline in filing their candidacies turned the Commission on Elections (Comelec) into a virtual circus again. Many local candidates flocked to the Comelec central office in Intramuros, Manila with their respective supporters staging various gimmicks to get the public's attention. The report said many of the bets even brought along supporters riding bicycles and others carrying placards. Thursday is the last day for candidates for local positions to file their candidacies. But the gimmicks also irked churchgoers at the nearby Manila Cathedral, who complained about the noise the candidates and their supporters made. Earlier, DZBB radio reported that even cemeteries in northern Metro Manila were not spared from local bets' "campaigning." Many cemeteries were littered with posters, stickers and streamers of local candidates, who will be allowed to "officially" campaign starting Friday. De Venecia starts reelection bid Speaker Jose de Venecia on Thursday formally submitted his re-election bid in the 4th congressional district of Pangasinan at the office of the Provincial Election Supervisor. De Venecia, chairman of administration party Lakas-CMD, in a statement said his reelection bid was in response to the clamor of his constituents for continuity and performance in office. The House leader said 21 of 31 barangay captains in the city came in support of his re-election bid. De Venecia has won fourth term as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2004. “We have always made performance and achievement the heart of our politics. Our party, Lakas-CMD, is campaigning on the platform of performance. We want politics of unity and development. We should shun the politics of hate and division," de Venecia said. De Venecia was accompanied by his wife Gina and family members, expressed his gratitude to his supporters who trooped to his seaside residence in Bonuan Binloc. De Venecia is also chairman of the Standing Committee of the Philippine Political Parties and three-time chairman of the Standing Committee of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties. Boyet files candidacy Actor Christopher de Leon on Thursday evening filed his certificate of candidacy as vice-governor of Batangas, GMA’s 24-Oras reported. De Leon will be running under Genuine Opposition but he does not have a running mate. Despite this, he is confident he will win because all the congressional candidates in the four districts of Batangas will be carrying him as their vice-gubernatorial candidate. He added that he decided to run under GO because he had been identified with the late Fernando Poe Jr ever since. The actor clarified that there is no rift between him and Lipa Mayor Vilma Santos despite the fact that they will be running under rival political parties. “Hindi naman po ako makakalaban ni Vilma (Vilma will not be my opponent)," he said. Santos filed her candidacy for governor Wednesday. She was accompanied by his husband, administration senatorial candidate Ralph Recto, and brother-in-law Ricky, who give up his ambition to be the province’ governor and instead filed his candidacy for congressman under GO. Santos’ running mate, Edwin Ermita filed his candidacy Thursday. Incumbent Batangas Gov. Armand Sanchez and running mate Mark Leviste also beat the deadline for the filing of candidacy. Another Batangas gubernatorial candidate, Nestor Sanares, was seen at the local Commission on Elections office filing his candidacy. On the other hand, in Parañaque, actor Jomari Yllana filed his candidacy for councilor Thursday. Priest heeds call to join gov race in Pampanga A parish priest in Betis, Pampanga on Thursday gave in to the clamor of his provincemates and filed his certificate of candidacy for governor, QTV’s Balitanghali reported. The priest - Father Ed Panlilio – said that he will temporarily leave the priesthood but he will remain a man of God. Panlilio said he already filed a leave of absence before a local archbishop and he is waiting for a reply. Panlilio has been part of the clergy for 26 years and headed the Pampanga Social Action Center for the past 20 years. He was also the founder of a non-government organization and became part of the rescue operations during the eruption of Mt Pinatubo in June 1991. The priest will be facing Incumbent Governor Mark Lapid and Board Member Lilia Pineda, both of whom have announced their respective plans to run for governor. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines did not express immediately opposition to the possibility of Panlilio becoming a politician. "Yung kanyang pagkapari will remain. Kaya lang yung kanyang function as a priest ang (mawawala)," Bishop Pedro Quitorio, CBCP spokesman said. The parish priest vowed to stop jueteng operations and corruption in the province. On Wednesday, Panlilio celebrated Mass, which will be his last before campaigning, as his parishioners cried. Before this, residents of Guagua town in Pampanga held a prayer vigil to convince Panlilio to enter politics and run for governor. The prayers seem to have worked as Panlilio on Thursday went to file his candidacy at the Commission on Elections office in Pampanga pushing a cart bearing the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a slogan saying “Dalhin ang hinaing mga mahihirap sa kapitolyo." Meanwhile, laywer Ely Pamatong, also on Thursday morning filed his candidacy for Pampanga governor but local Comelec officials refused to accept his COC due to lack of requirements such as documentary stamp and result of his drug test. Pamatong believed he is more qualified than the other candidates for gubernatorial post in the province. He said although he is born in Zamboanga del Sur, he is qualified to run in Pampanga because he is running a school in the province for five years now. YOU founder seeks House seat in La Union One of the founding leaders of the Young Officers Union that staged the bloody December 1989 coup has decided to seek the congressional seat in the second district of La Union. Retired Army Maj. Abraham Purugganan is Team Unity’s bet, having filed his certificate of candidacy on Thursday morning in San Fernando City. Purugganan said he would introduce military and political reforms should he wins a House seat. He also vowed to introduce measures regarding peace and order, job creation, as well as establishment of health and education programs in his region. A former Scout Ranger officer, Purugganan founded the YOU in the late 1980s along with Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Marine Col. Ariel Querubin, who are both currently detained in connection with the botched February 2006 coup. At the time, the YOU provided the muscle to the Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabayan (RAM) headed by then Col. Gregorio Honasan in staging the most bloody coup attempt against former President Corazon Aquino. Incidentally, Honasan is also under detention in connection with his supposed role in the July 27, 2003 mutiny staged by over 300 junior officers and men. An independent senatorial candidate, Honasan also stands accused of rebellion in connection with the 2006 February coup. After the 1989 coup, Purugganan resigned from the service even if the military rebels were able to forge a peace pact with the government during the term of President Fidel Ramos. He later emerged as an ally of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Purugganan said he wanted to introduce reforms within the bounds of the Constitution. He believes that a number of reform-minded military officers and men would support his candidacy in whatever way. "If we are going to talk about reforms, they are going to support it but not through violent means." Asked if it was only incidental that he is running under the administration being denounced by Lim and Querubin, Purugganan said: "Maybe, I have decided to abide by the provisions of the peace agreement with the government." "I now want peace, unity and prosperity not only in my province of La Union but also in entire country. We are already through with the bloody struggle. It will never be a solution to bring about reforms and changes in the government," he said. Purugganan is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1978, whose adopted members are Lim (US Military Academy 1978) and President Arroyo. TU slams Alston Team Unity senatorial candidates Vicente Sotto III and Michael Defensor on Thursday slammed United Nations special rapporteur Philip Alston for causing embarrassment to the Philippines before the international community. Earlier, reports said Alston has presented before the UN Human Rights Council a supposed "battle order" that would link the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to the wave of extrajudicial killings. "He's acting like a fiscal (prosecutor), whose findings could be right or wrong but, (as an analogy) it is only the judge who can render the verdict. If it's the [prosecutor] who has handed down the verdict, [that's serious matter]," Sotto said. Sotto noted that like a fiscal, Alston should get the position of both sides, but in this case the latter apparently got the one side of the issue. Besides, Sotto pointed out that such document should be authenticated before Alston presented it before the UN committee. Alston said the document was leaked to him but he has "no reason" to doubt its authenticity. "That copy should be authenticated. Anybody could make such a copy. It should be established that such is an official document from the Philippine government, otherwise it could be just a fabrication," Sotto said. "I can always make an order of battle listing everybody I don't like." Defensor said military establishment in other countries have their respective "order of battle" to deal with security threats. "For example the United States military places terrorists under order of battle. In our case, since we have a problem of internal insurgency, it is but natural that we have our own order of battle, but it doesn't mean the authorities would [go beyond the law and] kill them," Defensor said. However, Defensor said the government must also address the problem of political killings. Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, chairman of the Senate committee on foreign affairs, has said that United Nation intervention into the affairs of the Philippines, with respect to the issue of political killings, is not necessary. "…UN intervention in the affairs of the Philippines is justified only of alleged human rights violations are serious and large scale," Santiago said. She pointed out that human rights laws begin with the rule of exhaustion of domestic remedies, meaning the Philippines should be permitted to solve its own internal problems before its critics can invoke accepted international mechanism. "For example, a state could be deemed to violate human rights law, including the right to life, if there is a lack of any investigation by the authorities. But precisely, President (Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo established the Melo Commission to comply with human rights law, by providing for an effective investigation of alleged unsolved killings," Santiago said. Likewise, Santiago said it is misleading to say that Alston has reached a final finding because he has no power to do so. Santiago, an expert on international law, noted that according to the UN manual, Alston has to make an official report after his visit to the Philippines, which should provide full details of his action, such as sending a communication to the government on any actual or anticipated human rights violation. "The Philippine government has not yet received any such communication, and all opinions on what his (Alston's) report will contain are purely speculative," Santiago said. GO vows to amend libel law Stressing the need to protect media from harassment, Genuine Opposition senatorial bets dared their counterparts from Team Unity Thursday to commit to amend the libel law once the 14th Congress takes it up. In a resolution dated March 12 but published in newspapers only Thursday, the GO said freedom of speech "is the first defense against dictatorship and tyranny." "(We commit) to amend the law on libel, in order that it can no longer be utilized for the perverse objective of concealing corruption from the people and as a refuge for corrupt officials to escape public accountability. ... We hereby challenge the candidates of Team Unity Team Arroyo to sign this covenant to protect the members of the media from oppression," it said. Journalist groups have scored First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo for slapping charges of libel - which is a criminal offense in the Philipppines - those who write unfavorable stories about him. The President's husband has filed libel cases against more than 40 Philippine journalists, who have since struck back with a class suit. GO candidates who signed the resolution were Benigno Aquino III, Alan Peter Cayetano, Anna Dominique Coseteng, Francis Escudero, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, John Osmeña, Aquilino Pimentel III, Antonio Trillanes IV, and "guest candidate" Senate president Manuel Villar Jr. In the resolution, the GO said present times are "reminiscent of the Martial Law era" where a surge of libel cases was filed against media reporters, broadcasters and journalists. Yet, it said these journalists merely "provided the public with fair and accurate accounts of lying, cheating and stealing in the government by public officials and/or their conduits." - GMANews.TV