House supporters keen to see her named new Speaker; she’ll pick new CJ before term ends

With a general election nearing, Philippines President Gloria Arroyo could be expected to be wrapping up her administration and thinking about legacy issues. Far from it.

Not only is Mrs Arroyo planning a new life in politics by running in the May 10 polls for a seat in Congress, she also made a controversial appointment in the armed forces, and now looks set to pick a new chief justice before she steps down.

Speculation over her intentions is adding to an already heated election.

Mrs Arroyo’s critics say she is trying to extend her influence in key institutions before her term ends.

To be sure, she has good reason to watch her back. Her administration was buffeted by corruption scandals, and it is widely expected her foes will push for these to be re-examined in the courts and public inquiries.

‘The President has to protect herself and get as much support as she can from established institutions,’ said political science professor Edmund Tayao.

Despite her unpopularity among many Filipinos, Mrs Arroyo is expected to have little trouble winning a seat representing a district in her home province.

A skilful political operator, Mrs Arroyo had majority support in the House of Representatives, and her allies there have made no secret of their desire to see her appointed as House Speaker, an influential, agenda-setting post, in the next Congress.

‘It is now clear that Mrs Arroyo is absolutely intent on consolidating and perpetuating her power by shifting it from the executive to the legislative branch,’ regional risk consultants Pacific Strategies and Assessments said in a report.

According to a count by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, 159 of Mrs Arroyo’s current allies are running for seats in the 260-member House in the May polls.

It is not a given they will all win or remain loyal. But analysts expect a sizeable ‘Arroyo bloc’ in the next Congress.

Meanwhile, opposition fears of a failed election in the country’s first electronic vote prolonging her presidency are being aired prominently in the local media.

Election commissioner Jose Melo has dismissed fears of a system meltdown on polling day as ‘pure fantasy’.

But in a survey released on Friday by pollsters Social Weather Stations, 48 per cent of respondents expected ‘people power’ protests if the polls fail.

For her part, Mrs Arroyo has made repeated assurances of her intention to step down on June 30, when her terms ends.

‘Our entire administration is devoted to ensure a smooth transition to a new government,’ she told troops during a ceremony early this month to mark her appointment of Lieutenant-General Delfin Bangit to the top post in the armed forces.

Lt-Gen Bangit is seen as particularly close to the President, and his promotion drew fire from the political opposition for bypassing more senior officers.

In another row over appointments, a Supreme Court ruling this month that a ban on presidential appointments during the election period does not cover the judiciary will enable Mrs Arroyo to appoint a successor to the retiring chief justice.

Right now, all 14 serving justices of the Supreme Court are her appointees, made over a decade of being in power.

The ruling set off angry protests over an ‘Arroyo court’ by some members of the legal profession. But Prof Tayao believes fears of a pliant court are overdone.

‘The debt of gratitude is an important part of Filipino culture, but not to the point of sacrificing institutions,’ he said.

Even so, one of the leading candidates for the presidency, Mr Benigno Aquino III, has said that if elected, he would not recognise a chief justice picked by Mrs Arroyo.

VERA Files
March 29, 2010

FROM behind bars, former Lieutenant Senior Grade James Layug formally launched on Sunday his campaign to represent the second district of Taguig City in the House of Representatives with a motorcade by his supporters.

“It is my conviction to fulfill our hopes and dreams. We, the people of Taguig, should have better employment, improved healthcare, access to education and a drug-free community. These are my priorities for our district,” Layug issued the statement from his detention cell in Camp Crame.

Layug is a member of the Magdalo group of reformist junor officers who attempted to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo in July 2003 in Oakwood , Makati and in November 2008 at the Manila Peninsula. He is facing charges of coup de’tat and rebellion in military and civilian courts.

Independent Layug is up against the incumbent Angelito “Jett” Reyes, who recently won his electoral protest against Henry Dueñas, who held the position for the more than two and half years; Liberal Party’s Freddie Tinga, currently Taguig mayor; Nacionalista Party’s Arvin Alit.

Reyes, who belongs to a local party, is the son of recently resigned Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, who is also trying to gain a House seat through 1-UTAK, party list group of transport players.

Tinga is the son of retired Supreme Court Justice Dante Tinga, who is running for mayor.

Layug said he has six advocacies that will be the foundation for his programs and policies. These are good governance, people empowerment, peace and order, social equity, justice and environmental protection and management.

Layug said, “Sana yung mga gustong mag-aral, makapag-aral. Yung umaasang makapag-trabaho, makapagtrabaho. Yung nangangailangan ng gamot ay makapagpagamot.”

In people empowerment, for example, Layug said he believes in the Filipino spirit of “bayanihan” as an instrument of change. He added that as a united citizenry, Filipinos can achieve great feats of nation building.

Layug’s campaign kicked off with a Palm Sunday mass at the Ina ng Dukha Parish Church at the Tenement area in Western Bicutan. Kabisig ni Layug community leaders, as well as Magdalo Para sa Pagbabago Movement local and national members, attended the event.

The mass was immediately followed by a motorcade and a door-to-door campaign.—Ellen Tordesillas

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