Puno, Ferrer: No 'Garci 2' tape

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer and the camp of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno denied there were caught in a recorded conversation on alleged rigging of poll results.

Ferrer, who himself got a copy of the purported recording, denied having any conversation with Puno about the elections.

“Iba yung boses ko at yung sa tape. Ibibigay ko sa NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] yung CD para maimbestigahan ito,” Ferrer told ABS-CBN News.

In an interview on “Umagang Kay Ganda” on Monday, DILG Assistant Secretary Brian Yasmuan maintained the recording does not contain Puno’s voice.

“Base sa pananaliksik ng aming staff ay malayung-malayo sa boses ni Secretary Puno ‘yung lumalabas doon,” he said.

The audio recording was revealed by Senate Minority Leader Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, who received a copy of the CD.

Pimentel said he cannot vouch for the authenticity of the CD yet but he wants Congress to investigate it.

“Ang buod ng usapan ay kung paano ma-manipulate ang results ng election at kung paano mamaniobra ang makina, maiba ang resulta,” said Pimentel. – Report from ANC

Compact flash cards not destroyed - Smartmatic Compact flash cards not destroyed - Smartmatic exec

An official of Smartmatic Corp. today denied reports of burned or destroyed compact flash (CF) cards.

Cesar Flores of Smartmatic, the technology provider for the first automated polls in the country, said the CF cards that suffered glitches during the field testing were merely reconfigured to correct the software errors.

"There were no CFs cards that were physically destroyed," Flores told the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms at the resumption of its probe today.

Those present at the investigation include committee chairman and Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Quezon City Rep. Mattias Defensor, who alleged that irregularities happened in the May 10 polls.

Flores explained that some people took the act of "burning" the CF cards as actually torching the gadgets. - By Dennis Carcamo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

6 more groups joining party-list polls

Comelec expects more new groups, but will start printing ballots on Monday

Six more groups have been added on Tuesday to the list of organizations that can participate in the party-list elections in May, bringing the total to 150.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) released the official list of 144 groups last Friday, including a gay group which the Supreme Court ordered included while a review of its disqualification is pending.

The 6 additional groups, according to Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, had filed their petitions for inclusion earlier, but the processing of their petitions were not completed in time for last Friday's announcement.

They are the: Alliance for Rural and Agrarian Reconstructioon, Inc. (ARARO) LPG Marketers Association, Inc. (LPGMA) Alyansa Lumad Mindanao, Inc. (ALLUMAD) Alyansa ng OFW Party (Alyansa) Ang National Coalition on Indigenous People's Action (Ang NCIP) Bagong Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Samahan sa Sektor ng Transportasyon (Bangon Transport).

The total number of groups, 150, competing for partylist representation in Congress comprise half of the maximum 300 names that could be printed on one side of the election ballot.

Jimenez is anticipating that more groups will be added to the list since the poll body is still processing other petitions.

He maintained, however, that the printing of ballots will still start on January 25.

Meanwhile, the Comelec started accepting Tuesday the list of nominees of qualified party-list groups.

Jimenez stressed the importance of submitting the names of nominees. "The Comelec is under obligation to publish the names of the nominee. This will help the public in deciding with party list organization they will support."

Jimenez clarified that the nominee "need not be marginalized...in your own personal circumstance." The nominee should only be "at least has root or intimately involved with that sector" and have the "necessary tools and skills to craft national legislation of some significance."

Jimenez's interpretation is in accordance with the spirit of the Party List Act. The Supreme Court, however, said in a 2001 ruling that the nominees of marginalized groups should themselves belong to that marginalized sector.

The poll body will accept names of nominees for partylist representation until March 6.

4,000 machines for 2010 polls now with Comelec

Some 4,000 election machines that will be used in next year's automated polls arrived from China on Monday night, with 3,200 more expected to be delivered by Wednesday morning, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Tuesday.

“The [precinct count optical scan] shipment arrived already. It arrived last night at 9 p.m…we will have this released by today [Tuesday]," Chairman Jose Melo told reporters in an interview at the Comelec headquarters in Manila.

Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said the machines would first be inspected by the poll body and then delivered to a warehouse in Cabuyao in Laguna province.

“When the machines [are] delivered to the warehouse, they will be stored, they won’t yet be configured," he said.

The machines will undergo five or six tests from the time of their delivery before any software is installed in them, according to Melo.

A mock election would also be held as part of the tests, he added.

Initially, the first batch of poll machines was supposed to be delivered last November. However, costlier shipping and traffic then caused another delay in the delivery of some 12,000 PCOS machines.

Melo had earlier assured the public that all the 82, 200 PCOS needed for the 2010 polls would be delivered by February.

“By the first week of February, 100 percent [of the machines] manufactured na and in transit for our deadline," he said in an earlier interview.

Based on contract with the poll body, Smartmatic-TIM is expected to deliver 82,200 PCOS machines before February 28. But Melo said that they are not so keen on imposing a punishment for the delays just yet.

Smartmatic assured Chairman Melo that it could deliver the machines on time.

If worst comes to worst, the Comelec could conduct manual elections in some parts of the country, Melo said.

Aside from the shipment delivered on Monday, Melo said that there are already 200 PCOS machines in the Philippines, most of which are being used for trainings. - Report fromLBG/KBK, GMANews.TVhttp://eachnewsday.blogspot.com

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Comelec: Low turnout on last day of extended voters’ listup

The extension of voter registration ended with a poor turnout, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Tuesday after airing earlier worries about being swamped by hordes of last-minute registrants. “Mahina, mabagal ang dating nila," Comelec Chairman Jose Melo told reporters in an interview on Tuesday, the last day of the extended voter listup. Voter registration originally ran from December 2008 to October 31, 2009. But following the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision allowing for extension, the Comelec opened up its centers for registration on December 21, 22, 23, 28, and 29 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Election personnel in field offices in Metro Manila also observed low turnouts of registrants during the last day of the listup. “Mas kakaunti ngayon ang pumunta para magparegister. Dati, thousands ang pumupunta para magparehistro, ngayon over 300 lang (Fewer people came this time to register. The last time, thousands were lining up to register, but now we only have over 300)," said Claire Salinal, election assistant in Quezon City’s thickly-populated third district. Salinal attributed the low turnout to the Comelec resolution ordering field offices to accommodate only first time voters during the extended registration. “Mas maayos at magaan ang trabaho ngayon dahil first time voters lang ang ine-entertain (The registration is more organized and easier for us because we only have to entertain new voters)," she said.

In some areas, however, registrants formed long queues to beat the deadline, which the poll body attributed to “mañana habit." [See: Mañana habit leads to long queues of voter registrants] Registration cut short?

On the other hand, Kabataan party-list, the group that had asked the SC to extend the registration, is asserting that the Comelec should not have “cut short" the listup period to until December 29 only. It said that the SC had ordered the poll body to extend it until January 9. Melo, for his part, said that the youth party-list group does not understand that the process of registration does not only entail the voter listup, but also the administrative procedures that come with it. “They don’t understand the law, they think that if they get listed, they’re already registered. I keep on saying that listup does not equate to registration. There’s a process. The list has to be published. A hearing would then be conducted for any challenges," he said in Filipino. The poll body said it will post the list of the new applicants on January 4, giving the registrants until January 6 to file an opposition to any of the other registrations. By January 9, he said the Election Registration Board (ERB) will begin their hearings to weed out ineligible registrants. Earlier, Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said they will not be printing any additional ballots, making these new registrants like "chance passengers." [See: Additional voters for 2010 to be like 'chance passengers'.]

He said they would not produce extra ballots aside from the ballots that are scheduled to be printed on January 25 based on the number of voters that had registered prior to the SC ruling. There are over 49 million registered voters. as of December 10. The ratio of ballot to voter was supposed to be one is to one. [See: Over 49 million voters in 2010 polls, says Comelec] Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, however, clarified that additional voters could still vote if there would be “spare" ballots on election day, relying on the usual low voter turnout during the polls. - Report from with Andreo Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV

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Comelec reopens voter's registration today

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has started its extended voter's registration today (Dec. 21).

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez also urged first-time voter's who failed to register in the previous schedules to take advantage of the extension.

"We request registrants to bring the requirements, especially and ID with photo, for faster processing," Jimenez said.

Jimenez said he is optimistic that the reopening will be an opportunity for the more than one million people who have yet to register to be accounted for during the May 10,2010 national elections.

The poll body has slated the registration this year on Dec. 21, 22, 23, 28 and 29, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Supreme Court has ordered the Comelec to extend the voter's registration until Jan. 9, 2010. -

Report from By Dennis Carcamo

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Comelec issues reso vs guns, goons on 2010 polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued its resolution banning candidates and private individuals from carrying firearms and hiring bodyguards during the election period from January 10 to June 9, 2010.

“That equals it for everyone," Comelec spokesman James Jimenez told reporters on Thursday.

The resolution, promulgated last Wednesday, states that, “no person shall bear, carry, or transport firearms or other deadly weapons in public places," and that “no candidate for public office, including incumbent public officers seeking election to any public office, shall employ, avail himself of, or engage the services of security personnel or bodyguards."

Aside from the regular firearms and deadly weapons, also covered by the ban are air guns and replications, as well as bladed instruments, hand grenades, and other explosives except for fireworks.

Exempted from the ban on carrying firearms are members of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and other law enforcement agencies, according to the resolution.

Workers who use bladed instruments in the practice of their profession will also not be covered by the prohibition, it added.

The poll body also ordered the suspension of the issuance of licenses for firearms during the election period.

Bodyguards are OK

The poll body, however, allowed candidates to have security escorts during the election period “when circumstances warrant" it and only upon application.

The escorts can be from the PNP, the AFP, or the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Comelec said those interested in availing of the security detail must file a written application under oath indicating his full name, the public office he seeks to be elected, his residence, and the reasons or circumstances for the application. A filing fee of P5,000 will be collected from the applicant.

Candidates for congressional seats and local elective posts, as well as public officers or private individuals, may file their applications with the Regional Joint Security Control Desks while those seeking national elective positions shall file their applications with the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel (CBFSP).

The CBFSP will oversee the ban on firearms and security personnel. It will be chaired by poll body Commissioner Lucenito Tagle, with one one-star rank officer or equivalent, from the AFP and PNP, as members.

The same committee will refer the cases to the AFP and PNP, the agencies supposed to conduct a threat or security assessment. The two are expected submit their assessment to the CBFSP within five days.

If the application is granted, the CBFSP may authorize the PNP director general, AFP chief of staff, or NBI director to assign not more than two of its regular members as security personnel.

The Comelec, however, said that two more “protective agents" may still be assigned as close-in security “upon request and when the threat assessment warrants." “It’s a matter of how well they can justify it," added Jimenez.

But the poll body said that a security detail who is not wearing the authorized uniform but still opts to carry or transport firearms or other deadly weapons shall be considered unauthorized to carry such weapons and will be arrested.

Jimenez added that violation of the gun ban is an election offense, which entails a punishment of six months to one year imprisonment.
Report from KBK, GMANews.TV
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Comelec approves only 8 presidential bets

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has approved only eight presidential candidates out of the 99 aspirants who have filed their certificates of candidacies (COCs) for the position, a radio report said today.

Those who were allowed to run in the national elections were Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III (Liberal Party), Olongapo City councilor JC de los Reyes (Ang Kapatiran), former President Joseph Estrada (UNO-PMP), Sen. Richard Gordon (Bagumbayan), Sen. Jamby Madrigal (independent), former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro (Lakas-Kampi-CMD), Bro. Eddie Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas) and Sen. Manny Villar (Nacionalista Party).

Meanwhile, the Comelec likewise trimmed down the vice presidential aspirants to eight. They include Sen. Mar Roxas (Liberal Party), Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay (UNO-PMP), former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando (Bagumbayan), Sen. Loren Legarda (Nacionalista Party), Edu Manzano (Lakas-Kampi-CMD), broadcaster Jay Sonza (KBL), former Securities and Exchange Commission chief Perfecto Yasay (Bangon Pilipinas) and Dominador Chipeco Jr. (Ang Kapatiran).

The poll body has allowed 58 senatorial candidates out of the more than 100 senatorial bets who filed their respective COCs.

The poll body will announce next week the 56 party-list groups that have been qualified to participate in next year’s elections

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