VERA Files
By ELLEN TORDESILLAS

LOCAL candidates along with the Commission on Elections, the Church, and civil society groups signed on March 24 a covenant for peaceful elections in Sipalay, Negros Occidental, one of Western Visayas’ election hotspots.

Of the mayoral candidates, however, only detained former Marine Capt. and Independent candidate Gary Alejano showed up, escorted by military security.

A no show was his opponent, Acting Mayor Oscar Montilla, who is the mayoralty candidate of United Negros Alliance (UNA)-National People’s Coalition (NPC).

Alejano is detained at the headquarters of Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Camp Aquinaldo, but was allowed to travel to Sipalay only for the covenant signing. He was brought back to Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City the next day.

Alejano is one of the junior military officers undergoing trial in civilian and military courts for their participation in the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny and the Manila Peninsula siege in November 2008.

News reports said Montilla sent word through his sister and vice mayoralty candidate, Maria Gina Montilla-Lizares, that  he had important business to attend to in Manila, but is prepared to sign on his return the covenant which is an initiative of  Project Honest, Orderly, Peaceful Elections, a multi-sectoral body composed of civic and religious leaders in Sipalay.

Lizares, also with UNA but aligned with the Liberal Party (LP), signed the covenant but didn’t stay long for the ceremonies which were held at the Sipalay City gymnasium.

Montilla took over the mayoralty post in an acting capacity from his mother Soledad, who is 80 years old and ailing. She, in turn, also became mayor after her brother, former mayor Rodrigo Chua, was killed allegedly by the communist New People’s Army while he was campaigning in 1987.

Alejano said in his remarks during the covenant signing, “I believe that God bestowed upon us the freedom to choose. Our vote is a sacred gift from Him. And therefore, we shall not disgrace Him by selling our votes, or for a candidate to buy votes, and to use any means to deprive others of their right to vote. Let us make Sipalay a peaceful, progressive and livable city which every Sipalaynon can be truly proud of.”

Among those who took part in the covenant signing were Rev. Fr. Numeriano B. Maquiran, Jr. of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, chairman of Project H.O.P.E; Jessie Suarez, and Comelec provincial election supervisor, Negros Occidental.

Also represented in the signing of the covenant were the Department of Education, the Armed Forces, the Philippine National Police and the Sipalay chapter of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting.

Aside from Alejano and Lizares, other candidates who signed the covenant were Alejano’s running mate, Bebsie Villegas (Independent) and the councilors on their ticket.

CHAVIT BROTHER, MIKEY, ANGIE REYES, EURO GENERAL SEEK PARTY-LIST SEATS

The Daily Tribune
03/28/2010

The cat was let out of the bag yesterday after a total of 185 party-list groups submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday their list of nominees for the May 10 polls showing a long list of allies of President Arroyo.

Cause-oriented groups Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and Kontra Daya said the nominees list submitted by party-list groups showed that the party-list system is being abused by the politically and economically influential.

“From the initial list of nominees, we can certainly say that the party-list system is being routinely abused by politicians, big business interests, high-ranking military officials and Arroyo allies. Comelec is partly to blame because it has allowed the party-list system to be taken advantage of over the years,” Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said.

Among the nominees were Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo, son of President Arroyo, and recently resigned Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes who was nominated by transport group 1 Utak.

Anak party-list has former Police Senior Supt. Eduardo Octaviano Jr. and infamous “euro-general” Eliseo de la Paz as the first two nominees.

APO party-list has Maj. Gen. Melchor Rosales the administrator of the Office of Civil Defense and current official of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Araro’s nominee is former PNP Regional 3 head Chief Supt. Quirino de la Torre. Many have pointed out the irony that it was during his stint as police chief that the Hacienda Luisita massacre happened. National Security adviser Chavit Singson’s brother, Jose Singson Jr., is also running as the second nominee of 1st Kabagis party-list.

Others perceived to be in alliance with Arroyo are Pacyaw nominees Tourism Assistant Secretary Janet Lazatin and businessman Reynaldo Pineda, who are both from Pampanga. APO party-list’s first nominee former Ilocos Rep. Salacnib Baterina, Abono party-list’s Robert Raymund Estrella and Franciso Ortega III, Aangat Tayo’s Rep. Daryl Grace Abayon

who is the wife of Rep. Harlin Castillo Abayon (Lakas) of Northern Samar.

Ang Kasangga’s first nominee is businessman Teodorico Haresco who was involved in Arroyo’s Bridges Program, a sustained infrastructure and fast-track rural development project spanning over 14 years.

The Association of Labor and Employees (ALE) has Pampanga provincial board member, businesswoman and known Arroyo ally Catalina Bagasina as its first nominee.

Party-list group KABAYAN has former Executive Undersecretary Ron Salo as first nominee. Salo was also with the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office before moving to the Office of the Executive Secretary.

“Arroyo’s influence over the House of Representatives will come not just from the congressional districts but also from the partylist seats that her allies are trying to secure. The party-list system is another flank by which Arroyo would try to gain control of the House,” Reyes said.

Bayan said that it would be difficult to disqualify nominees because under the Comelec guidelines, questions on the qualification of nominees can only be filed five days after the March 26 deadline. The Comelec also requires a P5,000 filing fee for every nominee that a petitioner seeks to disqualify.

“So if you want to disqualify all 5 of Ang Galing Pinoy’s questionable nominees, you have to spend some P25,000 in fees. This is ridiculous. Why charge petitioners so much when the whole mess is the fault of the Comelec? Watchdog groups are trying to help yet they will have to pass through the eye of a needle before they could succeed in disqualifying nominees,” Reyes said.

The party-list groups that the Comelec accredited were Cibac, A Teacher, Pacyaw, Aba Ilonggo, Buklod Filipina, APO, Alagad, Butil, APEC, 1 Utak, Biyayang Bukid, SB, Bago, AANI, Bandila, Ang PDR, VFP, Agham, AFPSEGCO, AnakPawis, Bantay, Cocofed, AKSI, Gabriela, Senior Citizens, Abono, AKMA-PTM, FIL-MUS, 1Ganap, Kalinga, AMA, Anad, IVAP, AnaKalusugan, Kasapi, Atong Paglaum, Abakada, Buhay, Katribu, ATM, Kabataan, AGAP, ABA, AMS, AG. AME, CONSLA, LPGMA, 1-AK, AT, ABP-Bicolnon, ARCAPP, AS, AGBIAG, FIRM 24-K, Agila, AGRI, Bukid, Diwa, Green Force, Amang, YES We Can, ATS, Awat, Aama, UNI-MAD, PM (Manggagawa), SAGIP, FFW, AMIN, Abroad, Lypad, Abang Lingkod Inc., ALNA, Ang Kasangga, ALIM, SABOD, ALUM, AKI, ALMA, Akbayan, COFA, Ahon, BIDA, Aral and Anak.

The list nominees also included retired police Gen. Romeo Maganto for Sagip party; and Ma. Evangelina Palparan, wife of Rep. Jovito Palparan, for Bantay.

The prominent Ampatuan clan in Maguindanao also has a nominee in the person of former Energy Undersecretary Zamsamin Ampatuan for the party Anak.

Bayan also noticed nominees belonging to the same family running in one or two partylist groups.

“We have seen a husband and wife running under one partylist group or different partylist groups. We have a father and son running under one partylist group. Perhaps some vested interests see the party-list system as a means of concentrating political power in the hands of a few. It would be tragic if they will use the partylist system to plant the seeds of a political dynasty of sorts,” Reyes said.

Party-list group Batang Iwas Droga (BIDA) has Sheryl Genuino-See as its first nominee. Her husband, Gerwyn See is the first nominee of partylist group Abot Tanaw.

BIDA was earlier assailed by watchdog Kontra Daya for being ineligible for partylist accreditation because it is a government funded and initiated entity.

In its website, BIDA says it is the brainchild of Pagcor chairman Efraim Genuino. BIDA’s first nominee is the daughter of Genuino. Sheryl See was also a previous nominee of Bigkis Pinoy, a partylist also affiliated with Pagcor’s Genuino.

Kontra Daya is preparing to file a disqualification case against BIDA for violating the guidelines set by the Supreme Court in its ruling in Bagong Bayani vs Comelec that expressly prohibits government-funded entities from becoming party-list groups.

BIDA’s accreditation, despite being a government project, was done by the Comelec Second Division of Nicodemo Ferrer.

Bagong Henerasyon (BH) party-list has husband and wife as its first two nominees. Former Quezon City Councilor Bernadette Herrara-Dy and her husband businessman Edgar Allan Dy are the first two nominees.

Buhay party-list has father and son Mariano Velarde Jr. and evangelist Bro. Mike Velarde as the first and fifth nominees respectively. Anad party-list has Pastor Alcover Jr. and Pastor Alcover II as the first and third nominees, respectively.

The Alliance of Bicolnon Party has father and son tandem of architects Enrique Olonan and Henry Steve Olonan. Abroad party-list lists as its first two nominees Danilo Magsino Dy, Angela Dy.

“While there may be nothing in the law which prohibits members of the same family from being nominees of the same party-list group, it does seem strange that a system claiming to distribute power to the powerless ends up concentrating power the hands of a few,” Reyes said.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo expressed disgust on the nominees’ list.

Pabillo who also heads the Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said the party-list system was provided for in the 1987 Constitution to make marginalized sectors representation at the House of Representatives and guarantee their participation in lawmaking.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, meanwhile said he is in favor of a thorough review of the Party-List Law to make it truly representative of the interests of the marginalized and underrepresented sectors.

“I fully support the party-list system. It is a fine-tuning of the system of representation in a democratic set-up. But the intent of the Constitution to give marginalized sectors adequate representation in law-making may have been gravely compromised by loopholes in the enabling law,” Enrile said.

Enrile was reacting to the call made by some groups for the Comelec to disqualify party-list groups believed to be supported by Malacañang and traditional politicians.

“Watchdog groups should not just raise a howl over what they claim to be bogus party-list groups. They should gather enough evidence to substantiate their allegations and initiate disqualification proceedings with the Comelec against those who they believe do not really represent marginalized groups,” Enrile said.

Enrile observed that some party-list groups are apparently not up to the task of protecting the interests of their constituents.

“In the case of the power sector, there is a party-list group representing electric cooperatives, but it looks like they have been too busy with other concerns instead of working to bring down high power rates,” Enrile said.

The Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) also called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to focus on doing its job of conducting peaceful, orderly and credible national elections in May 2010 instead of shamelessly lawyering for the Arroyo family.

“How can we possibly have successful automated elections in May when our Comelec officials are so busy exploring every trick in the book to ensure that the party-list system favors yet another Arroyo in Congress?” questioned Ralph Calinisan, PMP spokesman.

“We want to see the Comelec addressing our concerns over glitches in the automation, and conducting more intensive voter education drives all over the country, which is as it should be,” he added.

Of late, Calinisan noted that the Comelec appears bent on allowing the young Arroyo more leeway in squeezing through as the nominee of the party-list group Ang Galing Pinoy, which reportedly represents the interests of tricycle drivers and security guards. Jason Faustino