More than 49 million have become eligible for voting in the 2010 elections so far, more than four million higher than in the polls two years ago, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Thursday.

Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal told reporters that as of the last count, registered voters had reached 49,271,492. In the 2007 elections, there were 45,029,443 registered voters.

The number is still expected to rise since there are 22 more municipalities that have yet to submit their reports to the poll body

Larrazabal said the municipalities had failed to submit their reports mostly due to the failure of the Election Registration Board, which decides which voters are qualified, to meet on time.

Meanwhile, Larrazabal said there are currently 37,062 voting centers and 74,427 clustered precincts.

Each clustered precinct will have one precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machine, which can accommodate up to 1,000 voters. Each clustered precinct will also have at least three Board of Election Inspectors.

The Comelec said it would tap about 245,000 teachers to serve as election inspectors in next year’s polls. — Kim Tan/RSJ, GMANews.TV

Public school teachers who will be serving as board of election inspectors in the 2010 elections can now look forward to a higher compensation package, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Wednesday.

In a press conference, Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said they met with the Department of Education (DepEd) last week and informed them of the new compensation package that public school teachers will be getting in next year’s polls.

“They were quite happy with the figure we gave them,” he said, adding that they have agreed that they will give the payment to the DepEd and the department will be the one to distribute it to the teachers.

Larrazabal refused to say the how much they would be paying the teachers next year exactly but said that if they were to compare the P3,000 package that teachers got in the previous elections, the deal that they will get next year is definitely better.

The commissioner said that last year, teachers were given a P3,000 compensation package for three days of poll work – P1,000 for each day.

“It’s higher than 1000. It’s a good package,” he said, adding that the new compensation package for four days of pre-election and election work will include leave credits and benefits like legal assistance and medical assistance to be provided by the Comelec itself.

“You also have to remember it’s not only money, but also non-money. What we presented to the DepEd is like that, it’s not just mathematical increase,” added poll body spokesman James Jimenez.

Jimenez said they estimate that they will be needing about 245,000 teachers to serve as BEIs in next year’s polls. He added that there will be about 74,000 clustered precincts – each of which will need at least three BEIs.

But Larrazabal was quick to note that teachers will be getting the better end of the bargain because the amount of work that they will need to do is lessened because of automation.

“At the end of voting, they just need to press a few buttons. This will be less tiring for teachers,” he said. The commissioner was pertaining to the “convenience” that the teachers will be experiencing because the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine will be doing the counting of the ballots and printing of the election return for them.

And despite the supposed lessened risks for teachers because of automation, he said their security is still one of their priorities. “The teachers are very important, we value their security,” he said.

Larrazabal said they are still going to conduct several more meetings with the DepEd to discuss their training for automated polls in early February. – GMANews.TV

Many thought that her 2007 victory as a second-term governor was also the extension of the people’s victory against a three-decade dynastic rule in Isabela province. But on December 8, Grace Padaca – the only Filipino local official honored last year with a Ramon Magsaysay award for supposedly empowering voters to reclaim their democratic right – was unseated from her post through a 12,000-page decision by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Shock was Padaca’s initial reaction to the Comelec’s decision. “Di ko maubos maisip na ‘yung 17,000 votes na lamang ko sa kanya na ganun na lang mababaligtad. (I can’t imagine how my 17,000-vote lead over him would be turned around just like that).”

Padaca was referring to Benjamin Dy, her political opponent who, according to the “final appreciation” of the Comelec’s Second Division, won the 2007 polls with 198,384 votes or a winning margin of 1,051 votes over that of Padaca.

According to Padaca, Dy’s petition failed to substantiate how he regained the 17,000 votes from her, unlike her evidence of 46 pages, including folders of the photocopies of ballots detailing how she maintained the 17,000-vote lead.

After the disbelief came Padaca’s realization that the issue was no longer about her, but the people’s trust in the Comelec’s capability to ensure clean and honest elections in 2010.

“Hindi ako kapit-tuko sa kapangyarihan. I just want to be assured na di ako ginagago sa prosesong ito. This is not just about me. Paano pa mapagkakatiwalaan ang Comelec sa 2010 election? (I’m not clinging to power. I just want to be assured that I’m not being fooled in this process. How can the Comelec be trusted in the 2010 polls?)” said Padaca.

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV
At least one political analyst shares Padaca’s view. Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, sees an “alarming” pattern not just in the recent decisions of the Comelec, but also in the rulings of Supreme Court that could have a “negative bearing on the conduct of fair and honest elections” next year. [See: SC: Appointive officials may hold on to posts after filing COCs and SC: Infomercials before campaign period legal]

“Ang tanong kasi ay kung mananalo ba ang administrasyon sa susunod na eleksyon? (The question is will the administration win in the coming elections?)… So what is the administration up to now?” said Casiple in an interview with GMANews.TV on Wednesday.

“It is placing its people in the government a few months before the polls so they can access government resources for the campaign and ensure the victory of the administration in rich-vote areas,” added Casiple.

Casiple said the situation being faced by Padaca is similar to that of Jonjon Mendoza who was earlier unseated by the same Comelec division headed by commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer after the Bulacan governor decided to leave the administration party in favor of the Liberal Party.

Last September, Padaca and Pampanga governor Ed Panlilio also decided to throw their support behind LP standard-bearer, Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III.

Like Padaca and Mendoza, administration allies are also trying to unseat Panlilio from his gubernatorial post.

In the 2007 polls, Panlilio beat Lilia Pineda by 1,407 votes, a margin repeatedly challenged by his political opponents until the election case was elevated to the Supreme Court. The high tribunal recently decided to resume the hearing of the petition questioning Panlilio’s victory.

But Casiple said the tight situation being faced by progressive leaders such as Padaca “will just be temporary.”

“Malaki ang possibility na manalo uli si Padaca at iba pang progressive leaders (There’s a big possibility that Padaca and other progressive leaders will win again in the 2007 polls). In the light of the Noynoy phenomenon, I think 40 to 50 percent of the electorate will vote based on issues and not on personalities,” said Casiple. – with reports from Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV

You can’t blame self-styled “international lawyer” Elly Pamatong for trying.

Days after announcing his presidential bid, Pamatong seeks to disqualify three of his rivals – former defense chief Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. and senators Manny Villar and Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

Teodoro, Villar, and Aquino should be excluded from the presidential race after they violated the previous ban on premature campaigning for 823 days, Pamatong claimed in a petition filed late Monday.

The self-proclaimed international lawyer was pertaining to the SC ruling reversing its decision dated September 11, 2009 that decriminalizes any political activities done before the start of the campaign period.

In the Sept. 11 decision, the justices voted 8-7 to disqualify Santa Monica, Surigao del Norte mayor Rosalinda Penera when she held a motorcade after filing her candidacy on November 30, 2006 for the May 2007 elections.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, a motorcade is considered a political activity.

SC spokesperson Jose Midas Marquez said the justices, voting 9-5, ruled that the conduct of political activity such as broadcasting infomercials before the start of the campaign season should be considered as “an exercise of the candidates’ freedom of expression.”

“While the split ruling in Penera vs. Comelec was reversed on November 25, Sec. 80 of the election code and the September 11, 2007 Penera vs. Comelec ruling was very much in effect from July 2007 to November 25 – a period of 823 days,” he said.

But Pamatong said although this may have “retroactively cleansed,” the respondents of criminality, their “moral turpitude and evil character” was contrary to the intentions of the Omnibus Election Code.

“All the respondents have knowingly ignored or disregarded this legal position taken by the Comelec and the Supreme Court to level the playing field between the poor and the rich,” said Pamatong, who once caused an uproar five years ago by throwing metal spikes along EDSA, Metro Manila’s busiest thoroughfare.

“Do you really think that allowing the elites to campaign for as long as they want really fair?” he added.

Petition seeks Pacquiao, Lapid disqualification

In a separate petition, Pamatong also called for the disqualification of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao who is seeking a congressional seat in Saranggani and Senator Lito Lapid who is seeking reelection.

Quoting Justice Isagani Cruz, Pamatong said Pacquiao and Lapid should be prevented from running in 2010 because they are just “unqualified professional entertainers.”

“Both Pacquiao and Lapid are politically blind, being unschooled in the art of governance and politically leadership. We cannot just simply hold our hands akimbo and idiotically watch our republic being feasted upon by these power-hungry political pedestrians who want to grab everything in sight,” he said.

After weeding out the nuisance candidates and settling the disqualification cases, the Comelec said it will come out with the official list of candidates by the end of December. – RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV

An internal squabbling within the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan resulted to the collapse of its alliance with the Nacionalista Party of Senator Manuel Villar.

But NP spokesman Gilbert Remulla maintained that they would keep Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in their senatorial slate for the 2010 elections.

“It [alliance] is now replaced by the adoption of Rep. Bongbong Marcos as a Nacionalista Party official senatorial candidate,” said Remulla, himself an NP senatorial bet, in a press statement.

Bongbong is the only son of the late President Ferdinand Marcos and former First Lady Imelda Marcos. The late strongman founded the KBL in 1978, which until 1986 was the most dominant party in Philippine politics.

On November 20, the NP and KBL formalized their alliance at the Laurel House in Mandaluyong City. No less than Villar, NP standard bearer, announced the inclusion of Bongbong in their senatorial lineup.

But other KBL leaders said the alliance was forged without the consent of the party’s national directorate, which it said is the sole body that represents them.

Vicente Millora, chairman of KBL, said Bongbong resigned as their member in 1987, although Mrs. Marcos remains as their honorary chairperson.

Bongbong, however, insisted that he is still with the KBL. He also underscored his full commitment to NP’s crusade against poverty in empowering the majority of Filipinos who are in dire straits.

Bongbong began his political career as Ilocos Norte vice governor in 1980 at the age of 23. In 1992, he was elected representative of the province’s second district, and then was elected as the province’s governor for three consecutive terms starting 1998.

In 2007, he was elected back to the House of Representatives, where he now serves as its deputy minority leader. One of the important legislation he authored was the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines Law or Republic Act 9522.

Mrs. Marcos, meanwhile, is running for Congress in the Ilocos Norte’s second district next year. – Amita Legaspi/KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV

The Supreme Court on Tuesday junked a petition seeking to disqualify former President Joseph Estrada from running in next year’s presidential elections.

Radio dZBB’s Teresa Tavares quoted the High Court decision as saying that it is not the proper forum for the petition but the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The petition was filed last week by a group called Vanguard, reportedly headed by one Elio Mallari, a lawyer.

In her report, Tavares quoted Supreme Court deputy spokesperson Gleo Guerra as saying that disqualification cases can only be elevated to the High Court once the Comelec has made a decision on the matter.

At present, two petitions to disqualify Estrada from the 2010 presidential race are pending before the Comelec: one filed by Evillo Pormento and another by lawyer Oliver Lozano.

Both petitions stated that Estrada could no longer seek reelection since he has already occupied the presidency from 1998 to 2001.

Article VII, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution states that: “The President shall not be eligible for any reelection. No person who has succeeded as President and has served as such for more than four years shall be qualified for election to the same office at any time.”

But Estrada’s camp repeatedly argued that the provision does not apply to him because he only served two and a half years in office.

Estrada, elected in 1998, was forced to step down in January 2001 amid corruption charges. He was convicted of plunder by the Sandiganbayan in September 2007 and was meted reclusion perpetua and disqualified from seeking any public office.

He was, however, pardoned by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in October 2007. - Andreo Calonzo/RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV

Senatorial aspirant and Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros on Monday asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disqualify President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from running for Congress in the second district of Pampanga next year.

In her four-page petition, Hontiveros said Mrs. Arroyo should also be disqualified for denying her opponents equal opportunity for public service since they would be fighting an incumbent president who has the country’s resources at her disposal.

This, she said, violates the equal protection clause stipulated in Article III Section I of the 1987 Constitution, which states that “no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without protection of the laws.”

“Allowing a sitting President to run for office would open a veritable Pandora’s Box and, when interfaced with other existing laws and policies, present fundamental questions of equity,” she said.

Hontiveros was the second to challenge Mrs. Arroyo’s congressional bid, the first one being lawyer Ely Pamatong, who is running for president in next year’s elections.

Malacañang, meanwhile, dismissed Hontiveros’ move against Mrs. Arroyo, saying the party-list lawmaker was only seeking media mileage to push for her senatorial candidacy.

“From reports I received, the grounds are hypothetical, speculative and without basis. We will answer if so required by the Comelec. Filing a case is very easy, the hard part of it is proving the grounds,” said Presidential Spokesman for Political Matters Romulo Macalintal, a noted election lawyer.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Malacañang welcomes the case, confident that the President’s lawyers would be “ready, willing and able to defend” her. - KBK, GMANews.TV

The Liberal Party (LP) and Kaya Natin movement slammed the Arroyo administration on Monday for what they called its “vendetta politics” against at least three governors, whose victories in the 2007 local elections are now being subjected to recounting just because “they are LP members.”

This after they received reports that the Commission on Election’s (Comelec) second division will rule against Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca and Pampanga Gov. Ed Panililio on the recount cases filed against them by their political rivals in the 2007 polls.

“(This is) part of the grand plot by the present administration to oust duly elected officials particularly those who belonged to the Liberal Party,” said LP senatorial candidate and Bukidnon (2nd dist.) Rep. Teofisto Guingona III as he read the stand of Kaya Natin.

“This is vendetta politics in ensuring that those who are able to do stand up against the administration would be punished,” said another LP senatorial bet and Bukidnon politician, Nereus “Neric” Acosta.

Panlilio, a Roman Catholic priest who ran and won in the 2007 elections as Pampanga governor, is contesting a recall petition filed with the Comelec by former provincial board member Lilia Pineda, the wife of businessman Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda, a well-known financier and staunch ally of President Arroyo.

Pineda, who lost to Panlilio by a margin of 1,147 votes, accused the winning politician-priest of cheating and initiated recount proceedings against him with the Comelec. The decision will be promulgated on December 16, said Commissioner Nicodermo Ferrer, head of Comelec’s second division.

In the case of Isabela province, Gov. Padaca is contesting a recall petition filed with the Comelec by former governor Bejamin Dy of the powerful Dy political clan. Citing unidentified sources, Padaca said the poll body’s second division will release its decision on Tuesday, December 8, in favor of Dy.

In a related case, the same Comelec division ruled against Bulacan Gov. Joselito Mendoza on an electoral protest filed against him by former Bulacan governor Roberto Pagdanganan. The decision was released after Mendoza’s Partido del Pilar coalesced with the LP for the 2010 polls.

“What do we have in common? We are LP members,” said Panlilio.

Recount cases against the three governors, however, had been filed even before they joined LP, whose presidential and vice president bets, Senators Benigno Aquino and Manuel Roxas II, have been leading the surveys.

But Guingona said Pacada and Panlilio did not have the money and machinery to rig the election results.

“We strongly belie the allegations of election fraud and cheating as absolutely false and baseless,” said Guingona, even as he called on the Comelec to “maintain its independence.”

Commissioner Ferrer, for his part, advised the two governors to wait for the poll body’s decision before making any judgment.

“Wag nilang siraan kami (They shouldn’t unjustly accuse us). Why don’t we just wait for the resolution, (maybe they’ll even) be taken by surpsise,” said Ferrer in a phone interview with GMANews.TV.

Ferrer added that the Comelec has been “very transparent” in conducting the recount cases. It has even invited the media and an independent poll watcher to witness the recounting, he said. – JV/GMANews.TV

The elections in Maguindanao province, now under martial in connection with the November 23 massacre of 57 people there, will push through as scheduled next year despite the turmoil, the head of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Monday.

“Whatever it is, hindi pwedeng magkaroon ng no elections. We will not allow it. Kapag nag-no elections tayo, that’s the end of democracy,” Comelec Chairman Jose Melo told reporters in an interview.

(We cannot not have elections in Maguindanao. If that happens then that’s the end of democracy.)

He said the worst-case scenario is if people in Maguindanao would not go out on May 10, 2010 to vote – a situation that could lead to the declaration of failure of elections in the province.

Article 6 of the Omnibus Election Code states that a failure of election is declared if the voting in any polling place was not held on the date fixed or was suspended before the closing of the voting “on account of violence, terrorism, fraud, or other analogous causes.”

At present, the poll body is not even mulling on transferring its office in Maguindanao from Shariff Aguak, the provincial capitol, according to Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer.

Melo said he would leave the situation in Maguindanao to security officials.

“Hindi ko masydong iniintindi yun. Basta ang akin lang maging normal ang situation so that we can hold elections. Responsibility na yun ng administration to see to it na ma-normalize ang situation doon,” he said.

(I’m leaving the situation in Maguindanao to the administration. I just want them to make the situation there normal so that we can hold elections.) – Kimberly Jane Tan/LBG/KBK, GMANews.TV

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) ordered on Friday the immediate removal from office of all poll officers who are running for elective offices in 2010.

Through Resolution 8709, the poll body has directed all regional election directors to immediately remove from office all Comelec personnel who have filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) for the 2010 polls.

The move was prompted by reports that for the first time in Philippine history, at least five Comelec officials are running for elective posts in the coming polls.

The commission has also ordered all of its regional directors to submit the names of all Comelec officials and employees who have filed their COCs.

Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said relieved poll officials are required to report to the Comelec main office in Manila, and have the option to resign or be reassigned to Manila.

“Normally the procedure before is, Comelec officials wait for their retirement and then file or they would resign and file. Now they filed without resigning. So when they will be reassigned to Manila to the main office it’s still the prerogative of the Comelec to assign them or designate them to perform other duties as we deem appropriate,” he explained.

Larrazabal earlier named two election officers, lawyer Raymond Gunda from Samar and Mac Laylay of Apayao, seeking elective posts in May 2010. [See: First time in RP elections: 2 poll execs running in 2010]

The poll commissioner said reports have reached the Comelec that three more election officers have filed their COCs the past few days.

Larrazabal said they are in the process of verifying the report, and expects the regional directors in the areas where these poll executives serve to immediately act on the matter to prevent conflict-of-interest situations come election period. - Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV