In an interview,
teary-eyed Saludaga expressed his gratitude to the people for
believing once more in his administration. He appealed that the
opposition should respect the result of the election as it apparently
manifests the truth and preference of the constituents. He however
made a comment to the time consuming casting of votes for there were
others who were not able to make it to their polling precincts as they
could not stand waiting in queue for it lasted until wee hours in the
morning. Out of 15,772 registered voters, only 13,345 voters actually
voted overlooking 2,427 voters. According to him, democracy was not
fully exercised when others went home, decided not to cast their
votes.
Notwithstanding the
procedural and technical defects (i.e. PCOS shutdown, inability to
transmit ERs & etc.) experienced in selected polling precincts, he
never questioned the result of poll automation as compared to the
manual counting in the previous elections.
Reelected Saludaga who
have been the subject of protests and harassments way back 2007
elections was forced to relinquish his post in the last quarter of
2009 by virtue of the cease and desist order of the COMELEC’s Second
Division through Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer just to grant Balag’s
motion. He was compelled to give in just to uphold the serenity of his
town and to protect the lives of the many people.
But despite of it, he
was not at all threatened to pursue his cause and defend himself by
petitioning and filing an appeal in court against his strong opponent.
It is note taking that
the September peaceful/prayer rally in the municipal compound which
lasted for more than a week is a firm manifestation how the people
offered their support towards him and in order not to be intimidated
by his opponent.
He fought his battle
up to the Supreme Court and been given fair justice when it granted
his petition on
April 7, 2010. Respondent Artemio H. Balag was ordered to cease and desist
from performing the functions of Mayor of Lavezares,
Northern Samar, and he
was reinstated.
In an 18-page decision
of the Supreme Court, it says that the petitioner did not commit forum
shopping. The COMELEC en banc erred in denying outright the
petitioner’s Verified Motion for Reconsideration of August 12, 2009
Resolution. The COMELEC en banc also erred in granting the
Manifestation and Motion filed by respondent Balag.
Finally, the
petitioner in his Verified Motion for reconsideration has raised
factual issues; and the COMELEC, a specialized agency tasked with the
supervision of elections all over the country is vested with the
exclusive original jurisdiction over election contests. With these,
the Supreme Court resolved that the case be remanded to the COMELEC en
banc.
Given another
chance as mayor, he wanted to pursue his plans for Lavezares –
environmental, educational such as scholarships, health and
agriculture.
Southern Leyte Comelec
bares location of 18 defective compact flash cards in nine
municipalities, one city
By BONG PEDALINO
May
13, 2010
MAASIN CITY, Southern
Leyte – Eighteen defective data cards located in ten local
government units (LGUs) of this province caused anguished delay in the
proclamation of winners in the respective localities four days after
the automated elections – and the days of waiting may wore on if no
new flash cards will come.
A collateral effect to
this technical glitch was that the provincial canvass also got
stalled, since no data from the field can be uploaded in the
canvassing and consolidated system (CCS) unless all the ten LGUs can
send in their complete, 100% results in electronic mode.
Sources at the
provincial office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said
someone was already personally sent to get the new compact flash (CF)
cards, stressing that for now a physical retrieval of the new CF
cards, and bringing those to the concerned places, is the ultimate
solution.
Macrohon led the list
of places with four defective CF cards located at barangays Amparo,
Sindangan, Buscayan, and Flordelis, while five others – four towns and
one city – had two defective CF cards per LGU.
These included the
towns of Liloan, at barangays Poblacion and Pandan; Limasawa - at
barangays Triana and San Agustin;
San Francisco - barangays Anislagon and Bongbong; Sogod - barangays
Buac Daku and Kanangkaan; and
Maasin City -
barangays Pansaan and Maria Clara.
The rest of the LGUs
had one barangay affected in each one of them: barangay Nava in
Hinunangan; Cabagawan in Saint Bernard; Rizal in Tomas Oppus; and
Sabang in Malitbog.
This list was taken
from a document signed by Atty. Antonio Gulay, Provincial Election
Supervisor, dated
May 11, 2010, 6:30
in the afternoon.
In other words, a day
immediately after the polls, Comelec higher-ups were already duly
appraised and made aware of the problem in the province but the
expected solution was not easy in coming.
Gulay had told PIA he
saw no resort other than waiting for the alternate CF cards to be
around so the affected LGUs can go on with their canvass and transmit
the results to the provincial level either through electronic
submission or by personally carrying the memory cards when signal is
weak.
On May 12, two LGUs –
Hinundayan and San Juan – did just that, wherein the concerned
Election Officers brought the data to the provincial canvass board to
upload, in addition to Padre Burgos which was received in a similar
manner on May 11.
So far, complete,
official result from only nine LGUs had been received by the
provincial canvass board, those Anahawan, Bontoc, Libagon, Pintuyan,
San Ricardo, and Silago – all these six LGUs transmitted
electronically.
In Maasin City,
proclamation was put on hold pending the arrival of the two new CF
cards.
Out of the 89
precincts, 87 had been canvassed by the city board of canvassers, and
in this partial tally, incumbent Governor Damian Mercado garnered
29,431 votes, while his second-time opponent, Marissa Lerias, daughter
of former Gov. Rosette Lerias, got 10,614 votes. (PIA-Southern
Leyte)
Reds abduct unarmed
troops in child’s b-day in ComVal
Press Release
By DPAO, 10th Infantry Division, PA
May 13, 2010
CAMP APOLINARIO,
Panacan, Davao City – Communist New People’s Army (NPA) abducted
four unarmed government troops while attending a child’s birthday
party in the village of Sawangan in Mawab town in Compostela Valley (ComVal)
province 12:00 Noon Wednesday.
Corporal Marcial
Bawagan was visiting his family in time with the birthday of his three
year-old son together with Cpl. Ariel Asumo, Cpl Eduardo Alcala and
Cafgu Victor Pitogo when they were seized at gunpoint by armed NPAs
inside their home. The NPA’s Local Terrorist Front-27 (LTF-27) is
reported to be responsible in the abduction; the same band of
terrorists responsible in Tuesday’s carnage in Maragusan town.
Witnesses said the
victims were forcefully taken to a waiting black van and sped away
going to the direction of the
village of Sangab also in ComVal province.
Marcial’s wife Jenny
was crying while carrying their son Jennylmark who is celebrating his
birthday and looking for his father. Neighbors can do nothing but to
console her while her three other children were crying with her. She
said she cannot accept that the NPAs abducted her husband on their
son’s birthday. “They are heartless.” Jenny said speaking in
vernacular.
The community is
seeking the help of the Catholic Church to intervene in behalf of the
victims. Jenny consulted with Father Christopher Segura, the parish
priest in the locality who is making moves to establish contact with
the abductors.
The NPAs were
reportedly disheartened due to the loss of most of their favored
candidates both in local and national political arena. Information
gathered from the field indicates that the peaceful conduct of the
election was a big slap on their face for insinuating a chaotic polls
and even floating the idea of failure of election. The attack
authorities said, is a desperate effort to cover their blunder in the
Maragusan massacre last Tuesday.
It may be recalled
that last Tuesday, five persons including a civilian pollwatcher were
killed and another 12 were wounded when 48 individuals composed of
Board of Election Inspectors, Pollwatchers and soldiers were ambushed
by NPA terrorists in the village of Mahayahay in Maragusan town in the
same province.
People of Maragusan
and the whole province including ComVal Governor Arturo Uy condemned
the attack saying “It is so barbaric.” The dead civilian is a
pollwatcher of Uy who is aligned with Nacionalista Party. The three
other wounded civilians were pollwatchers of Nacionalista party having
two and Liberal Party with one.
Non-arrival of fresh
memory cards in two precincts delays proclamation in Maasin City
By BONG PEDALINO
May
12, 2010
MAASIN CITY, Southern
Leyte – It’s all over here except for the non-arrival of two new
memory cards to replace the faulty ones.
Out of 89 clustered
precincts in the city, the Board of Canvassers as of yesterday had
canvassed 87 of them, leaving only the two precincts of barangays
Maria Clara and Pansaan, two places where the Precinct Count Optical
Scan (PCOS) were not tested and sealed over the weekend, and thus were
not used.
Voters in these areas
were instructed to shade the official ballots just the same and place
them direct in the ballot box, and once the PCOS will be functional
with a new data card the chair of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs)
in those precincts will be the one to insert the deposited ballots in
full view of all watchers.
Two days after the
elections this singular act was not yet done, and the voters missed
the chance and thrill of feeding the PCOS.
City Election Officer
Lawrence Gelsano, in an interview by Monching Buyser of DYDM, said
they cannot proclaim the winners just yet because by procedure they
have to complete the canvass 100% before making the proclamation.
Besides, results in
the remaining two precincts may greatly affect the tenth and last spot
for the City Councilor line-up, Gelsano added.
As it is, the tenth
place is being occupied by incumbent City Councilor Antonio Cardoza,
while the 11th spot following him is rival Dr. Celso Borres’ from the
opposite ticket.
Keen observers have
mixed speculation on the last two uncanvassed precincts which could
yield about 1,000 ballots or votes, whether this can dislodge Cardoza
for Borres, or ensure the former’s claim on the last contested seat.
The official, partial
tally for 87 out of 89 precincts showed incumbent Congressman Roger
Mercado garnering 30,208 votes, while former Congressman Aniceto
Saludo got 9,665.
For the mayoralty
race, incumbent Mayor Maloney Samaco had 26,088 votes, while two-time
challenger, former Gov. Rosette Lerias got 13,510 votes.
PIA was unable to get
the partial results for the position of governor as of this writing.
At the provincial
canvass, only six towns so far were able to electronically transmit
the results, and these were the municipalities of Anahawan, Pintuyan,
Silago, San Ricardo, Libagon, and Bontoc.
Provincial Election
Officer Atty. Antonio Gulay said yesterday he expected the Election
Officers of Hinundayan and San Juan to personally come to give their flash cards being unable to submit by
electronic transmission.
Padre Burgos was able
to transmit its results to the central server, but not to the
provincial canvass, so a physical transfer of the flash card was also
expected for the town as of yesterday.
Asked as to when the
provincial winners could be proclaimed, Gulay pinned his hopes to the
arrival of data cards to replace the faulty ones in various
municipalities, and that includes the two for
Maasin City.
(PIA-Southern
Leyte)
DAR intensifies
support to Biliran coco farmers through AREDP-SICAD
By NOEL SALLOMAN and ISMAEL AYA-AY
May
12, 2010
TACLOBAN CITY – The
coconut farmers particularly the Agrarian Reform beneficiaries of Biliran continues to receive support from the ARB Agribusiness
Entrepreneurship Development Program-Sustainable Integrated Coconut
Area Development ((AREDP-SICAD) as part of the numerous assistances
extended by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
Mr. Jose Alsmith Soria,
DAR 8 Regional Information Officer informed that Provincial Agrarian
Reform Officer (PARO) Elisea Orapa last week distributed to the
federation of ARC cooperatives in this province, a shredding machine
worth P70,000 for the farmers’ bio-organic fertilizer production.
The machine fabricated
by the Visayas State University (VSU) and jointly funded under the PCA-Coconut
Genetic Network and the AREDP-SICAD, PARO Orapa explained, was
accompanied by a rice hull carbonizer which could also be used to
boost the project.
According to PARO
Orapa, AREDP-SICAD released in 2009, some P287,000 for the copra
trading, bio-organic fertilizer production and banana production
activities of the federation.
In June, the
federation is expected to be recipient of some sets of decorticating,
twining and combing machines from the Philippine Exports, Inc. for the
farmers’ proposed coco coir and geo-textile production projects to
expand their operations, PARO Orapa added.
Mr. Sam Helerra of the
Philippine Export, Inc. earlier assured the federation of technical
assistance in their operations and subsequently in the marketing of
their products, she disclosed.
PARO Orapa said that
Biliran is so fortunate to be included among the recipients of the
AREDP-SICAD nationwide program which was introduced in 2006.
The Program intends to
improve the coconut industry by introducing innovations and
appropriate interventions in identified areas in order to increase
coconut production and develop high value-adding enterprises, and
eventually to establish market linkages locally and internationally.
In Biliran, six ARCs
in the municipalities of Biliran,
Almeria,
Cabucgayan and Caibiran were covered by the program benefiting some
1,500 agrarian reform beneficiaries.
Initially,
4,000-hectares of coco lands in the province were targeted for
rehabilitation, intercropped with bananas.
With the outpouring
support extended to these ARBs under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program (CARP) income of every ARB household is expected to rise as
the coconut industry in this island-province is seen to boom in the
near future.
Comelec proclaims Uy
as Catbalogan Mayor, 3 Tans leading election results in Samar
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE
May
12, 2010
CATBALOGAN CITY – Catbalogan
City election officer Salvador Cruz as Chairman of the City Board of
Canvassers at 12:50 midnight today, declared Coefredo ‘Tekwa’ Uy as
the winner of the mayoralty race in Samar’s capital city.
Uy has another Uy
opponent, Judge Alma Uy, which he beat by close to ten thousand votes.
The Board of
Canvassers also decided to proclaim nine out of ten Sangguniang
Panglungsod members as one barangay Cagutsan from an island named
Sierra has yet to report voting results for their 648 voters.
However, Cruz
maintains that the results will not affect Uy’s lead and that of his
Vice Mayor elect Art Gabon.
The winning councilors
is lead by Uy’ s lovely daughter Stephanie Uy-Tan followed by Ernesto
Arcales, Jovito Redaja, Christine Joy Escober, Rodrigo Perez, Rodolfo
Aquino, Teodoro Ilagan, Joselito Mendoza and Maximo Pescos.
Cruz added that the
10th councilor will be proclaimed late today with the result of the
87th final precinct.
Meanwhile, in the
provincial scene, the three Tans, mother Milagrosa, daughter Sharee
Ann Tan and son Stephen James Tan are leading the race in the top
positions of Samar’s political landscape.
Milagrosa Tan,
although earlier disqualified is seeking the second district
congressional seat. Daughter Sharee Ann is seeking the gubernatorial
post, trading places with mom Milagrosa.
Neophyte Stephen James
leads the Vice-Gubernatorial race. Stephen is husband to Catbalogan
Mayor Uy’s daughter Stephanie. But the couple belongs to opposite
parties as their parents are known to be ‘kontra-pelo’ (rivals) in
politics in Samar.
This has been the
second day when the Samar Provincial Board of Canvassers have stood
vigil until the wee hours of the morning, to receive electronically
transmitted results from the municipalities.
As of press time some
nine vote-rich towns have yet to transmit their results. Comelec
Supervisor standing as PBOC chair is Atty. Corazon Montallana as joined
by Provincial Prosecutor Lluz, and DepEd Samar Division Assistant
Superintendent Bernardo Adina.
Comelec has
declared a relatively peaceful election especially that there are no
reported election-related incidents in the city and in Samar province.
(PIA-Samar)
Technical blight
hinders provincial canvassing
By JOHN HECTHOR SAY,
Samar News.com
UP-Tacloban Intern
May 11, 2010
CATBALOGAN CITY –
After municipal Consolidation/Canvassing Systems (CCS) from various
precincts in the entire Samar province failed to electronically
deliver their vote casts to the provincial
CCS, the COMELEC has finally decided to suspend the process past
10pm yesterday,
May 10, 2010 at the Samar provincial capitol building.
With no specific areas
mentioned, COMELEC Chairperson Maria Corazon S. Montallana confirmed
that some municipalities in
Western Samar were unable to send vote data to the provincial canvassing
unit via Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT).
As a remedy, the process was temporarily aborted as these areas will
then physically relay their data using USB flash discs.
By 5 o’clock in the
morning of May 11, 2010, canvassing has to resume, Montallana mentions.
With this delay of
vote consolidation, personnel who convened in the CCS hall of the
provincial capitol building were directed to leave the area for
security reasons, including the Board of Canvassers itself, party
representatives and the people from the press. Armed forces were
outside the building to deny any unwanted activity and partisan entry.
To further strengthen
electronic securities, or to avoid vote manipulations, the members of
the Board of Canvassers brought with them the safety tokens so that no
third party will be able to illegally intervene in the process.
The COMELEC has been
preparing the provincial Consolidation/Canvassing System with a large
cut of their time already been spent. On May 9, 2010, Sunday, a day
before the elections, the testing and sealing of
CCS kit took place at the session hall of the
Samar provincial
capitol building.
With experts to back
up her undertaking, Chairperson Montillana officially lead the process
of inspecting and validating the devices that will be used in the
provincial canvassing. CCS Operator Nicolas Mendova and provincial
technician Melvin Senining assisted in dismantling the box and
reassembling the devices.
The device entries
were comprised of DELL VOSTRO 1520 laptop which will be used as the
central monitoring device (with built-in Secure Digital card,
CCS011200323), USB modem (B54CAA19B1607070), SIM pack cards, USB
tokens (chair: 09122401857, vice chair: 09122401951 and BOC member:
09122401990) and USB extension cable. An LCD projector was also
provided so that canvassing would appear public.
Following the targeted
plan, the canvassers and representatives from various sectors have to
convene at the capitol building by noontime, with a break practically
following it and then resume by
6 o’clock in the evening. However, due to the extension of the voting
process, schedule for the recommence of monitoring was moved to
8pm. Then, by
technical hitches, monitoring was postponed until 5am of May 11, 2010.
Catbaloganons start
voting early, proceedings generally orderly
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE
May
10, 2010
CATBALOGAN CITY – Catbaloganons
started voting as early as 7:15 this morning, as witnessed by PIA
Samar.
Madam Marieta Giray,
Chairman of the Bureau of Election Inspectors (BEIs) would want the
voting to start immediately at
7:00 AM however, she had to wait for the poll watchers to open the
book of voters and other sealed election paraphernalia and sign them
with the watchers.
The first voter ever
at Precinct number 4 at Catablogan 1 was Benito Ignacio, 70 a former
teacher who said he voted for 6.5 minutes, younger Grave Aguirre, 25,
was third in line but he was faster to shade and therefor the first to
test how well the Precinct Optical Counting (PCOs) machine worked.
Aguirre told PIA he is
satisfied with the outcome of his ballot and added he trusts this
electoral process.
Incumbent mayoralty
candidate Coeferdo Uy voted at ten in the morning and looked tired so
he avoided having his picture taken.
The first batch of
voters were mostly senior citizens who said they avoid the warm
weather so that a six in the morning, they were already seen lingering
in the polling place and locating their names in the prepared voters’
list.
In Catbalogan 1, the
public will see a Joint Security Control Desk manned by a PNP member
and an Alert official (NGO), personnel from the Parish Pastoral
Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) also man the Voters’ Assistance
Desk.
In a phone call to
City PNP Chief Joseph Pensotes, he claimed that the electoral process
is generally peaceful that his PNP force has been given augmentation.
His men are presently roving to monitor the on going political
exercise.
Samelco 2 general
manager Ponciano Rosales as he was about to vote was asked by the
media how stable the power supply.
“Electric supply is
stable,” he assured the people.
He mentioned though
that in Basey town (some 107 km southeast of
Samar’s capital city), power tripped this morning but was
immediately restored.
He added that at least
two linemen are posted in his area which includes 15 towns and the
city of Catbalogan.
Young voters who were
voting for the first time when interviewed were generally satisfied
with their experience and hailed the process as “maupay ngan madagmit”
(trans good, fast). (PIA-Samar)
Checkpoint at Kawayan,
Biliran apprehends 5 men for illegal possession of firearms
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
May
10, 2010
TACLOBAN CITY – Five
men were apprehended at the Comelec checkpoint at Barangay Burabod,
Kawayan, Biliran for illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions
relative to Comelec Resolution No. 8714.
The apprehension was
conducted by the elements of Kawayan Police Station led by Police
Senior Inspector Estanislao Palconit Corpin who is the chief of
Police, together with four PNCOs.
Apprehended were
Rebosada Caberte, 48 years old, married, resident of Barangay Balite,
Kawayan, Biliran; Pablo delos Reyes Tobias, 33 years old, single,
resident of Barangay Marca Tubig, Tinambacan, Calbayog City; Roberto
Bretania Deano, 51 years old, married resident of Barangay Veriato,
San Isidro, Northern Samar; Samuel Enriquez Solayao, 44 years old,
married, resident of Tacloban City; and Rolando Cayanong Odivelas, 42
years old, married, resident of Tacloban City.
Said suspects were on
their way to the northern part of Kawayan, Biliran when accosted at
the Comelec checkpoint manned by the elements of Kawayan Municipal
Police Station.
The suspects were on
board an Isuzu pick-up bearing plate number GKA 413, registered under
the name of Francisco Colenares Jr, resident of 211 Esperaz Avenue,
Tacloban City.
Confiscated from their
possession and control were: one (1) m16 rifle with SN P00038 marked
Elisco with two (2) magazines, one (1) long and one (1) short
containing 48 live ammos; one (1) mini UZI with SN
IMI01671 with two (2) long magazine and one (1) short magazine
containing fifty-one (51) live ammos; one (1) .45 caliber pistol with
SN AOC42747
marked Thomphson with attached silencer with one (1) magazine
containing eight (8) live ammos; five (5) units nokia cellphone and
one (1) pc black bonnet.
Subject persons are
now in the custody of Kawayan Police Station for proper disposition.
Armed men ambush Bravo
Coy elements killing one soldier, wounding another
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
May
9, 2010
TACLOBAN CITY – On
or about 9:55 in the morning of May 7, 2010, elements of Bravo Coy,
34th Infantry Battalion of the 8th Infantry Division were ambushed by
armed men while conducting foot patrol at Barangay Bag-otan,
Matuguinao, Samar.
Reports coming from
the PNP Media Center for HOPE 2010 identified the armed men as Tony
Velarde, alias Tonggao Borden, Enisito Floquencio, Fidang Florencio,
Betty Sorio, alias Tambotso Anterio, alias Bornok Morillo, Emed
Casaljay, Nestor R. Mesario, Yobit Dias, Demas Obiado, Jelita Velarde,
Wilma dela Cruz and Edwin Floquencio.
The firefight which
ensued lasted for about fifteen (15) minutes, resulting to the death
of CPL Roel Alao and the wounding of PFC Noriel Mengote.
The suspects scampered
to unknown direction after the incident, the report stated.
The Matuguinao Police
Station is currently conducting thorough investigation after which it
will file appropriate charges in court against the perpetrators.
Despite the incident,
Police Regional Director Rey Lañada said that the peace and order
condition of the Region is still normal and everything is under
control with the combined operatives of the Philippine National Police
and the Armed Forces of the Philippines under the Comelec supervision.
No election hotspot,
only 54 areas under watch list in Region 8
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
May
9, 2010
TACLOBAN CITY – No
municipality or city in Region 8 has been declared as election
hotspots, Senior Superintendent Manuel Cubillo, spokesman of the
Philippine National Police Region 8 said.
SSupt. Cubillo
however, disclosed that 54 areas in
Eastern Visayas are under election watch list. Among these areas are six (6)
in Leyte; one
(1) in Southern Leyte; twenty-one (21) in Samar; eight (8) in Eastern
Samar; and seventeen (17) in Northern Samar.
These areas in Region
8 are being closely monitored by the Philippine National Police in
order to prevent untoward incidents during the May 10 general
elections, SSupt. Cubillo said.
He explained that some
areas were included in the watch list due to a history of violence in
the past elections. The three Samar provinces are the usual areas in
the Region, he added.
SSupt. Cubillo did not
divulge the specific areas to prevent undue fear to the public.
The directive of
Police Region 8 Director Rey Lañada is for the police provincial and
station commanders to strengthen their security preparations for
clean, honest and orderly polls.
A total of 500
election watch list areas of immediate concern and seventeen (17)
areas of immediate concern are now being monitored by the Philippine
National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Comelec.
