Deliberate fraud EDITORIAL 06/30/2010

Deliberate fraud

EDITORIAL Click to enlarge 06/30/2010 It was fairly obvious that, from the start, there was the deliberate intent to commit electoral fraud and on a massive electronic scale. The signs were there early enough: The insistence of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioners to ensure that Smartmatic would get the P7.3-billion contract for the automated system, to the point of even pressuring its local partner, TIM, to get the partnership sealed again; the hiding from the public, via the Congress, of the many changes in the terms and conditions of the contract; the extra 6,000 auto machines that were not utilized with their whereabouts undisclosed; refusal of the poll body to clean up the voters’ list; Comelec and Smartmatic’s disabling of all the security features; the insistence that the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines are “unhackable” and that no cheating can occur, while Smartmatic and .... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100630com1.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Deliberate fraud FRONTLINE No hitting the ground running FEATURE Future looks sunny for Bangkok’s tuk-tuks MR. EXPOSE Refreshingly informal C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Plug gaps or scram HE SAYS Our future under Noy SHE SAYS Transition

No hitting the ground running FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 06/30/2010

No hitting the ground running

FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 06/30/2010 Noynoy Aquino yesterday announced the members of his Cabinet, many of whom were already guessed at by the media, including the positions they will be taking. There were some suprises, however. Some come from the original Cory yellows, such as Ping de Jesus and Bert Romulo, as well as Voltaire Gazmin, the new Defense secretary; others came from Gloria’s Cabinet and identified with the Black and White Movement, such as Corazon “Dinky” Soliman and Ging Deles, the Hyatt 10 members, such as Cesar Purisima, who also gets to retain his Finance post he held along with the others who will be taking the same positions they held under the Gloria regime, plus presidential spokesman, Ed Lacierda. Still others are Noynoy’s friends and supporters. There was of course, the inclusion of the Makati Business Club, in the person of Alberto Lim. Under an Aquino reign, can the MBC, the Lopezes and even Manny Pangilinan’s interests be far behind? Noynoy apparently hasn’t made up his mind about who will head the Department of Interior and Local Government, as he said he will be taking over that post in a concurrent capacity — something that then President Joseph Estrada took on for a brief period, while his undersecretary, Ronnie Puno did the day to day work at the DILG. It appears that Noynoy hasn’t quite decided to give the job to former Naga City Mayor Jessie Robredo, telling media that he is still choosing between two candidates, but making it clear that he is not giving this position to Vice President-elect Jojo Binay.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100630com2.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Deliberate fraud FRONTLINE No hitting the ground running FEATURE Future looks sunny for Bangkok’s tuk-tuks MR. EXPOSE Refreshingly informal C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Plug gaps or scram HE SAYS Our future under Noy SHE SAYS Transition

Future looks sunny for Bangkok’s tuk-tuks FEATURE 06/30/2010

Future looks sunny for Bangkok’s tuk-tuks

FEATURE 06/30/2010 BANGKOK — Prapai Hemsuwan gunned the engine of his emerald green three-wheeler, sending it into a fit of rasping coughs and causing clouds of black smoke to belch into the air. “Life would be meaningless without the tuk-tuk,” he said. His beloved cart is one of nearly 8,000 auto rickshaws in Bangkok and their spluttering paroxysms — the “tuk-tuk” name came from the sound made by an early model — have become a key feature of city life. But the brightly colored buggies, most of which run on gasoline or natural gas, are facing increasing competition from more modern and greener modes of transport, raising questions over their future. A sort of motorbike crossed with a tricycle and a tin can, the open-sided buggy exposes its passengers to blasts of exhaust fumes during a white-knuckle ride down sweltering, traffic-choked streets. Set against air-conditioned and often cheaper taxis, as well as Bangkok’s elevated sky train, the humble tuk-tuk looks like something of a relic. But the creation of a new solar-powered model could see the three-wheelers accelerate into the 21st century. The prototype cart is the brainchild of Air Marshal Morakot Charnsomruad, who hopes that his buggy could herald a cleaner, greener era on Bangkok’s congestion-choked streets. “It will help clean up our country — everyone will want to drive it,” he told AFP. Morakot, a former armament and science chief for the Thai Air Force, is already selling electric versions across the world through his Clean Fuel Energy Enterprise..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100630com3.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Deliberate fraud FRONTLINE No hitting the ground running FEATURE Future looks sunny for Bangkok’s tuk-tuks MR. EXPOSE Refreshingly informal C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Plug gaps or scram HE SAYS Our future under Noy SHE SAYS Transition

Refreshingly informal MR. EXPOSE Amb. Ernesto Maceda 06/30/2010

Refreshingly informal

MR. EXPOSE Amb. Ernesto Maceda 06/30/2010 President Noynoy Aquino’s presscon to announce his Cabinet was refreshing. Dressed informally in a black shirt, Noynoy handled questions well from a hungry media. There were a few surprises in the Cabinet positions announced, especially his decision to take over the DILG post himself. Also surprising was the designation of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Sr. as head of a Truth Commission to probe cases against GMA and other officials of her administration, including the ZTE-NBN project, fertilizer scam and road board/DPWH projects. New names appointed were: Dr. Patricia Licuanan for Ched, Virgilio de los Reyes for Agrarian Reform, Dr. Enrique Ona for Health, Dr. Mario Montejo for DoST, Ramon Paje for DENR, Rosalinda Baldoz for DoLE, Eduardo de Mesa, Presidential Legal Counsel. Also a surprise is the decision not to announce the appointment of Willie Parayno as Commissioner of Customs and no appointment for Nonong Cruz. Also the non-appointment of Hyatt 10 members Johnny Santos and Mely Nicolas. P-Noy confirmed the abolition of the position of Press Secretary. As expected, Maj. Gen. Ricardo David is the new Chief of Staff of AFP. This is the first time you have a father-daughter team in the Cabinet with DBM Secretary Butch Abad and daughter Julia Abad, new PMS chief. Good luck Mr. and Mrs. Secretaries!... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100630com4.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Deliberate fraud FRONTLINE No hitting the ground running FEATURE Future looks sunny for Bangkok’s tuk-tuks MR. EXPOSE Refreshingly informal C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Plug gaps or scram HE SAYS Our future under Noy SHE SAYS Transition

Plug gaps or scram C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 06/30/2010

Plug gaps or scram

C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 06/30/2010 First off, we join the entire nation in wishing our top two elected leaders, President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino (P.Noy for short) and Vice-President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay (V-Nay as his closest associates have come to call him), all the best as they enter into their six-year mandate to “serve our people in the best way they can.” As they carry the burden of bringing to fruition the “dreams and expectations” of 93 million Filipinos including the millions more overseas for a better future we can only add our prayers for their success and the hope that their term will usher in a new level of maturity and unity for the common good which has so far eluded us all these years. Mabuhay! *** Here’s what Makati Rep.TeddyBoy Locsin Jr., the chairman of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms said on the first automated elections in the country (and Asean as well?): “Lest it be overlooked, there was no failure of elections, contrary to the hysterical warnings of pundits and politicians. The closest the country came to failure of elections was the thoroughly inexcusable wrongly configured CF cards crisis days before May 10 — a case none of the doomsayers anticipated...” Then, obviously with an eye on the hanging issues and, yes, unspoken concerns raised, in and out of Congress, during its two and half weeks of inquiry into... the alleged fraud, manipulation and related malpractices during the May 10 elections,” he immediately noted the “fitful credibility” with which the technical provider Smartmatic-TIM explained crucial issues related to the system’s operation. He mentioned in particular the variations in the provider’s explanation of the “date-and-time” stamps showing voting done on various dates, i.e., April 27 and 28 in Manila, May 3, 4, and 5 in Muntinlupa, late May 10 up to May 11 in Makati and Biliran and May 12 in other areas. He then noted other gaps such as the potential misuse of the PCOS machines and the consolidated counting system (CCS) and the all encompassing “machines don’t cheat, people do and if some losers are whiners, then some winners are cheaters...”... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100630com5.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Deliberate fraud FRONTLINE No hitting the ground running FEATURE Future looks sunny for Bangkok’s tuk-tuks MR. EXPOSE Refreshingly informal C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Plug gaps or scram HE SAYS Our future under Noy SHE SAYS Transition

Our future under Noy HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 06/30/2010

Our future under Noy

HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 06/30/2010 The short ride from the Manila Hotel to the Quirino Grandstand would not be long enough to exchange smiles and handshakes. But the few minutes that they would share on the presidential limousine would best exemplify the parting of ways between President-elect Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino and outgoing President Gloria Arroyo. There won’t be any serious talk between them, or so we were apprised by their respective camps, a rather unusual occurrence between the former allies who have benefited much from each other during the happier times of Edsa Dos, until Arroyo and her family figured in so many shady deals; and Cory — Noynoy’s mother — had publicly apologized to former President Estrada for her role in the Arroyo coup before her untimely death, which not a few claimed shot Noynoy up his new seat in Malacañang. Arroyo may not even stay long enough to hear Noynoy’s speech, which we were told would center on his campaign issues against graft and corruption, and in cleansing government of scum, which came aplenty during Gloria’s nine-year reign. Gloria will expectedly just go through the motions, following protocol that would not make her look bad, at least in the final day of her reign, by making herself available to provide adornment to Noynoy’s first official duty as president of the republic. And then Gloria will have to make her own show in Congress, hoping to clinch its leadership if she wants to stay longer in politics. Or if she wants to stay free, as many are expecting Noynoy to deliver on his promise to investigate all her misdeeds. Yes, Noynoy made that promise. And it is that same promise that created the wedge between Gloria and Noynoy that we expect them to share some awkward minutes together in the presidential limousine.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100630com6.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Deliberate fraud FRONTLINE No hitting the ground running FEATURE Future looks sunny for Bangkok’s tuk-tuks MR. EXPOSE Refreshingly informal C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Plug gaps or scram HE SAYS Our future under Noy SHE SAYS Transition

Our future under Noy HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 06/30/2010

Our future under Noy

HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 06/30/2010 The short ride from the Manila Hotel to the Quirino Grandstand would not be long enough to exchange smiles and handshakes. But the few minutes that they would share on the presidential limousine would best exemplify the parting of ways between President-elect Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino and outgoing President Gloria Arroyo. There won’t be any serious talk between them, or so we were apprised by their respective camps, a rather unusual occurrence between the former allies who have benefited much from each other during the happier times of Edsa Dos, until Arroyo and her family figured in so many shady deals; and Cory — Noynoy’s mother — had publicly apologized to former President Estrada for her role in the Arroyo coup before her untimely death, which not a few claimed shot Noynoy up his new seat in Malacañang. Arroyo may not even stay long enough to hear Noynoy’s speech, which we were told would center on his campaign issues against graft and corruption, and in cleansing government of scum, which came aplenty during Gloria’s nine-year reign. Gloria will expectedly just go through the motions, following protocol that would not make her look bad, at least in the final day of her reign, by making herself available to provide adornment to Noynoy’s first official duty as president of the republic.... MORE  Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100630com6.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Deliberate fraud FRONTLINE No hitting the ground running FEATURE Future looks sunny for Bangkok’s tuk-tuks MR. EXPOSE Refreshingly informal C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Plug gaps or scram HE SAYS Our future under Noy SHE SAYS Transition

Transition SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 06/30/2010

Transition

SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 06/30/2010 Are there discrepancies between outgoing President Gloria Arroyo’s proclaimed accomplishments and the actual realities that meet incoming President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino? When President Arroyo gave her farewell speech last June 23, aired on state-run NBN 4 and sequestered television stations RPN 9 and IBC 13, she lauded the smooth transition of power through a “historic election” that enabled us to “declare winners in hours and days rather than weeks and months,” gave a brief overview of her administration’s accomplishments in the past nine years, urged the people to unite behind the new leadership and thanked everyone for giving her the honor of serving the nation. In her speech, Arroyo said that her administration was able to achieve many of its goals and objectives, as well as carry the nation through “37 quarters of uninterrupted economic growth even against the headwinds of a major global recession.” Under her watch, the country’s economy was reformed even though they had to “make unpopular choices such as raising taxes” along the way. It had to be done, she explained, simply because government needed “new money for more and better healthcare, education and job creation.” As a result, she said, “Eighty-five percent of our people now have access to Philhealth insurance, over a hundred thousand classrooms have been built and nine million jobs have been created.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100630com7.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Deliberate fraud FRONTLINE No hitting the ground running FEATURE Future looks sunny for Bangkok’s tuk-tuks MR. EXPOSE Refreshingly informal C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Plug gaps or scram HE SAYS Our future under Noy SHE SAYS Transition

Noynoy takes DILG post; Puno also eyed By Angie M. Rosales 06/30/2010

Only Cabinet slots filled; other executive office heads still blank Noynoy takes DILG post; Puno also eyed By Angie M. Rosales 06/30/2010 A day before he is sworn in as the 15th President of the Republic, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino named the official members of his Cabinet, a mix of old and new Yellows, Gloria Arroyo blues turned yellows as well as long-time friends of the new president. He named at least 25 of his Cabinet members, but kept the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) post for himself, saying that there are still two candidates from which to choose to head that department, without however, naming who the candidates are. He admitted that Ronnie Puno, the former DILG chief, is under consideration for the DILG post under his administration. No reason was also given by him on why former Naga City mayor, generally seen to head the DILG, was still being mulled as a Cabinet member, although he clearly ruled out Vice President Jejomar Binay as heading the DILG, saying that he never offered Binay that position. The bulk of his Cabinet members was largely known, as their names have been reported and speculated upon. There were, however, some surprises, as these names just cropped up yesterday during the press conference Aquino held. He said there were some old, and some new, adding that the “ bottom line is that these are the people who I believe have committed to the philosophy that the problems in this country are solvable. They have the energy and the commitment to sacrifice, to do the necessary things that will effect the changes the people are aspiring for,” he said. It appears that while his Cabinet has been organized, Aquino has yet to fill up many positions in the offices under the executive department, which are much more in numbers than the Cabinet positions.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100630hed1.html

HEADLINES Noynoy takes DILG post; Puno also eyed No turning back from auto polls despite fraud — Melo Miriam: No five-star treatment for Noy’s inaugural Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being Poll commission rejects public disclosure of folder case

No turning back from auto polls despite fraud — Melo 06/30/2010

By Aytch S. de la Cruz No turning back from auto polls despite fraud — Melo 06/30/2010 Melo made the statement in response to the Locsin committee’s findings that a systematic form of cheating occurred in the last elections but affecting only the local level and not the national positions. While admitting he has yet to read the committee report in full, Melo said he cannot entirely comprehend what Locsin is claiming considering that the Comelec only used a single type of ballot and a standard program installed in the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines. “The way I understand it (Locsin’s claims), the defects he’s talking about are not in the machines but in the process and the people involved. Now, when he said that the national elections are okay but there were problems at the local level, that’s difficult to understand because there is only one ballot and there is only one machine which reads it. You can’t say that there was cheating on this side and on the other side there was none,” Melo argued. Melo expressed belief that the result of the automated elections last May would be the best argument to apply a similar system in the 2013 senatorial and local elections but he explained that the decision is left for the 15th Congress to make depending on its budget deliberation. Melo added that he is also unsure if the services of technology provider, Smartmatic, that supplied the PCOS machines used in the last elections that were later on found out to be susceptible to elements of fraud, would be retained for future elections. “It depends on what our advisers will tell us. If they will tell us that (it is safe for us to go on then we will use also the same PCOS machines,” he said. Melo, nonetheless, said the Comelec is standing by its previous statements that the 2010 elections have been credible enough given the fact that the poll body was able to release results in an unprecedented speed and proclaim winners earlier than before.  Saying it was too late for Locsin to point out the just concluded automated elections was marred with flaws, a militant lawmaker yesterday called on the incoming Congress to create a special commission to investigate the 2010 Automated Election System (AES). Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño made the recommendation following the release of a report by the House committee on electoral reforms and suffrage saying that there were evidences of poll cheating especially in the local level.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100630hed2.html

HEADLINES Noynoy takes DILG post; Puno also eyed No turning back from auto polls despite fraud — Melo Miriam: No five-star treatment for Noy’s inaugural Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being Poll commission rejects public disclosure of folder case

Miriam: No five-star treatment for Noy’s inaugural 06/30/2010

Miriam: No five-star treatment for Noy’s inaugural

06/30/2010 The anticipated attendance of several heads of state and heads of government is not likely to take place in today’s inaugural ceremonies of President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino as most of those who have arrived in the country are foreign and trade ministers. “If that is the case, then we are not being given, let us say, five-star treatment. “In a rating system with five stars, sending a prime minister or deputy prime minister would rate only a three star. Therefore, we are only a three-star state,” Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said. This was the assessment made by Santiago, Senate foreign relations committee chairman, when asked by reporters during a phone-patched interview on the manner by which some foreign governments are responding to the election of Aquino who initially was swarmed by a number of ambassadors in his residence on Times Street, Quezon City even while Congress was still in the middle of the canvassing proceedings. “If this is, let’s say the inauguration of President Obama, they themselves should be going. Or if this will be the inauguration of the Japanese prime minister, the quality of the officials being sent will be higher than that, who are being sent to us. So these are standard Third World representation,” she said.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100630hed3.html

HEADLINES Noynoy takes DILG post; Puno also eyed No turning back from auto polls despite fraud — Melo Miriam: No five-star treatment for Noy’s inaugural Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being Poll commission rejects public disclosure of folder case

Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being 06/30/2010

Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being

06/30/2010 Gloria’s legendary temper became the hot topic at the Palace yesterday, the last day of President Arroyo’s nine-year reign as the 14th President of the Philippines. Arroyo’s short fuse was often caught on camera and written about, which Arroyo’s spokesmen tried to rationalize during the final Palace press conference under the departing president. Outgoing presidential spokesmen Ricardo Saludo argued that Arroyo’s display of impatience was not necessarily a sign of annoyance but reflects the “displeasure of the entire nation expressed only by the President” whenever government officials fail to deliver. Saludo, who served as Arroyo’s Cabinet Secretary for eight years before being named head of the Civil Service Commission, said it has always been her nature to lose her temper whenever members of her Cabinet fail to meet deadlines but this is something that they have not taken against her and considered this as just one of her ways to motivate her officials.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100630hed4.html

HEADLINES Noynoy takes DILG post; Puno also eyed No turning back from auto polls despite fraud — Melo Miriam: No five-star treatment for Noy’s inaugural Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being Poll commission rejects public disclosure of folder case

Poll commission rejects public disclosure of folder case By Marie A. Surbano 06/30/2010

Poll commission rejects public disclosure of folder case

By Marie A. Surbano 06/30/2010 Poll commissioners are once again refusing to come clean with the public, as they have rejected the move to make the findings of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) panel that investigated the overpriced ballot secrecy folder issue. All they offered to make the public was that the folders were overpriced which the public already knew. The conclusion given by the panel was that the controversial ballot secrecy folder that was supposed to be used for the May 10 polls was “overpriced.” This was the result of the more than one month investigation conducted by the three-man panel created by the Comelec last April after the en banc discovered that the folder cost P380 per piece or a total of P689 million for the 1.8 million folders. But, apparently, the commissioners weren’t ready to accept the findings of their created panel, saying that they will be endorsing this instead to the Ombudsman for a more thorough investigation.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100630hed5.html

HEADLINES Noynoy takes DILG post; Puno also eyed No turning back from auto polls despite fraud — Melo Miriam: No five-star treatment for Noy’s inaugural Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being Gloria mirrors Filipinos in being Poll commission rejects public disclosure of folder case

Noynoy not worried over Gonzales’ ‘shadow gov’t’ By Mario J. Mallari 06/30/2010

Noynoy not worried over Gonzales’ ‘shadow gov’t’

By Mario J. Mallari 06/30/2010 Incoming President Benigno Simeon Aquino III yesterday said he is not bothered at all on the stated plan of outgoing acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales to put up an opposition “shadow government” to act as a critic of the new administration. In his first visit at the general headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Camp Aguinaldo as the military establishment’s incoming Commander in Chief on Monday afternoon, Aquino said he does not even talk about Gonzales’ efforts to establish his own “shadow government.” “I don’t talk about that. Like I said, if there’s anyone who would join him…Because shadow Cabinets in other countries, in my knowledge and understanding, is formed by the leader of the opposition. So the key leader of the opposition in parliamentary countries was elected, meaning he has a following, he has members,” Aquino said, mostly in Filipino. “I assume there are some people who would follow Secretary Gonzales, and good luck to them. I hope they will be bored in the next six years,” he added. Earlier, Gonzales said he is excited at the prospect of becoming a leader of the new opposition in the next administration even as he spoke of already working to form a “shadow Cabinet” or what he termed as a “government in waiting.” Gonzales openly invited his predecessor at the Defense department, losing administration presidential candidate Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., a cousin of Aquino, to join him in the opposition. He also said recently retired AFP chief, Gen. Delfin Bangit is welcome to join his shadow Cabinet. Bangit, apparently hurt, last week took an early retirement after learning of Aquino’s publicly stated plan to not maintain him as military chief.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20100630nat3.html

NATION Aquino charged for not recognizing Corona Sabio blames Salonga for PCGG’s failure  Noynoy not worried over Gonzales’ ‘shadow gov’t’ Nolcom chief David named new AFP chif