Imagine if Clinton or Obama did something like this here

First came across this from my cousin Kuya Carlo’s blog, “Only in the Philippines!”

Yep, the man below promoting Tide detergent is running for President in 2010. Very clever if you ask me.

This is what happens when you oust a Speaker of the House

…He recounted the times he had stood to defend President Arroyo, and said, “It pains me grievously to hurt the President and to hurt the First Family because I have invested so much more than any of you in this chamber to help the President become Vice President, become President….”

Reporters later asked De Venecia whether his accusations against the President, members of her family and close associates were a declaration of war. He replied, “Yes.”

Full story here.

Executive clemency

We have this very important order signed by the President a few minutes ago. Let me read.

Whereas this administration has a policy of releasing inmates who have reached the age of 70;

Whereas, Joseph Ejercito Estrada has been under detention for six and a half years;

Whereas, Joseph Ejercito Estrada has publicly committed to no longer seek any elective position or office;

In view hereof and pursuant to the authority conferred upon me by the Constitution, I hereby grant executive clemency to Joseph Ejercito Estrada convicted by the Sandiganbayan of plunder and imposed a penalty of reclusion perpetua;

He is hereby restored to his civil and political rights;

The forfeitures imposed by the Sandiganbayan remain in force and in full including all writs and processes issued by the Sandiganbayan in pursuant hereof except for the bank accounts he owned before his tenure as president;

Upon acceptance of this pardon by Joseph Ejercito Estrada, this pardon shall take effect given under my hand at the City of Manila this 25th day of October in the year of our Lord 2007.

Signed,

Gloria M. Arroyo

Attested

Ignacio R. Bunye

Acting Executive Secretary

Senator Manny Villar said that the pardon is “a great step toward reconciliation which emphasizes the value of humane consideration and compassionate justice.”

Former President Fidel V. Ramos called the pardon “a terrible calamity to the great, great, great majority of the Filipino people who have suffered from the plunder.”

Hmm…

9/13

Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio was recently quoted in Philippine news that the number 13 is former Philippine President Joseph “Erap” Estrada’s favorite number. After all, he was the 13th President of the Philippines. He was impeached by the House of Representatives on November 13, 2001.

The number 13 is also the date in September in which his fate will be decided.

The Sandiganbayan, the anti-graft/corruption court of the Philippines, has until 9/13/07 to deliver its verdict in the Estrada plunder trial. Estrada is accused of pocketing $82 million in kickbacks and payoffs during his term as President (1999-2001 - 31 months). It took 6 years and 155 witnesses, but the moment is finally here. And some folks are getting a bit jittery as for what’s to come.

A 9/4 Forbes article noted that shares on the Philippine Stock Exchange fell 1.7% on Tuesday partly because of “domestic political jitters”. A 9/5 Inquirer article stated that “the Armed Forces of the Philippines brought out its combat troops, armored carriers and cannons to show its readiness to meet contingencies in Metro Manila, amid rumors of fresh destabilization plots and possible violence if Estrada was found guilty.” Malacañang said that these are “normal security measures” and that “the public has nothing to worry about.”

Or should they?

There is the possibility of something going down regardless of the outcome. Should the verdict read guilty, there will inevitably be protests from Estrada supporters, which, according to University of Santo Tomas poly-sci professor Rey Trillana, would be hazardous to current President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for “the reaction of his supporters is something even Estrada cannot control.”

Should the verdict read not guilty, Estrada would be cleared of any wrongdoing and would be in a position to challenge Arroyo’s legitimacy once again by posing himself as a victim when he was overthrown in 2001.

There have also been rumors that Arroyo will pardon Estrada if he is found guilty towards a “greater national reconciliation” according to Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno.

We’ll have to wait and see what happens. Looks like the wild animal that is Philippine politics is primed to receive plenty of attention in the coming days. That’s not always a good thing.

Other sources:

1 2 3

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Author’s note

Hello to the new and returning members of Troy Philippines. My time as a student @ SC is done, so I won’t be able to see you as much as before. But I’ll be there at the 1st meeting, albeit late. Depends on how nice the 60 will be to me that day.

Let this year be the best that TP’s ever seen….

– Raymond

Some results

It’s been about a week and a half since the Philippine midterm elections. They’re still tabulating the votes for the national races and some of the local ones. In Philippine elections, most if not all of the votes (save internet voting in Singapore) are done manually, and most national races aren’t officially decided until about a month afterwards. This unfortunately increases the prospect of cheating and corruption, especially in the provincial elections.

Here’s some interesting results, though:

• A Roman Catholic priest, Fr. Eddie Panlilio, has been elected governor of Pampanga, From this Inquirer article on 5/18, he will become “the 26th governor of Pampanga since 1901. His followers said they would call him Among Governor. Among is a term of endearment for priest. His parishioners in Betis, Guagua called Panlilio “Among Ed.”
• According to the latest NAMFREL (National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections - a electoral watchdog group) tally, senatorial candidates from the Genuine Opposition (GO) are currently dominating the elections, with 8 of its 12 candidates in the “Magic 12″. Two candidates in the “Magic 12″ are from Team UNITY (the administration group), while the last 2 are independent candidates.
• South Cotabato congressional candidate Manny Pacquiao was defeated by a large margin (139,061 to 75,908) by the incumbent, Darlene Antonino-Custodio. According to this article, Pacquiao said, “I have accepted the results. I just hope that she will fulfill her promises to help the poor. If that happens, I will be happy, it would be like I won too.”

It’s election time again

Go to this site for the latest updates on the Philippine midterm elections. Looks like the cheating has already begun:

From the site:
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Foreign observers claim to have witnessed blatant cheating in Lanao del Sur and disenfranchisement in Nueva Ecija, according to the report of delegates of the People’s International Observers’ Mission (IOM).

Vote-buying and coaching of voters inside election precincts were rampant in Marawi City, said Jessica Tulloch, IOM spokesperson for the Lanao del Sur team. Tulloch said they saw poll watchers sit beside voters and dictate candidates’ names to be written on the ballots.

Members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) were also seen powerless, as they “practically gave up policing the precincts with just anybody entering and interacting with voters,” Tulloch added.

The IOM also witnessed the following:

1)Voters had more than one finger that had been marked with indelible ink that was easily washed with soap and water.

2) Voters freely admitted to having voted several times. Voters were seen being paid a minimum of P50 for every vote for municipal and city councilors, and P2, 000 per vote for mayoralty candidates.

3) Minors as young as 15 years old were allowed to vote.

4) Peso bills were seen stapled on sample ballots and campaign leaflets being passed on to the voters through window grills.

5) Ball pens were seen in voting booths with stickers with candidates’ names written on them.

6) Voters’ lists were missing outside the precincts, and no Secrecy Folders and list of candidates for national and local positions were reported.
Posted by : Erwin Oliva at Comelec in Manila

This and VAT

The following post about Philippines’ VAT (Value-Added Tax) was written by Isabelle Lacson:

I made a purchase at Commons the other day with fellow TP-er, Jeff Okita. As I juggled my chicken pesto, napkins, and wallet, I managed to whip out my USC ID to avoid the big bad sales tax implemented on all Californians (and those who go to Commons hungry and ID-less). The lady who beamed at my black Styrofoam box asked me to pay up my $6.25, and I did so with a smile because I saved an estimated 50 cents. If one day I am interviewed on how I made my first million, I will attribute it to my being practical like this (“I brought my student ID with me everyday to school and look at me now!”).

By virtue of the CIA World Factbook, the 2005 estimate of Philippine GDP growth has been proclaimed 4.8%, well above the rest of the pack of the international community. Upon my most recent return to the homeland over Christmas break, I found that hard to believe. Until I encountered the VAT (value-added tax). The Philippine Department of Finance (DoF) implemented the VAT last November, and its effects have been quite mixed. Usually, economic growth alludes to bigger and better things for a country, but in this case, the DoF has single-handedly raised the GDP growth of the entire nation without changing the development of the economy as a whole.

I had my first taste of the VAT when I made a trip to Powerplant Mall in the upscale area of Rockwell in Makati. I thumbed through the clothes in one of my favorite apparel stores, and began purchasing things on impulse (my excuse to my dad later on: I just wanted to make sure my international credit card worked). I noticed a whopping 12% tax on the bottom of my receipt. I asked the saleslady what the hell it was and why it was on my receipt. She explained that the reasonable(?) PhP 2,450 for one of my items qualified for PhP 300 worth of VAT.

I was surprised, mostly because in all my years of living in the Philippines, I had never paid tax for things that I had purchased. I remembered the positive report on the GDP growth later on, and almost smiled at myself for contributing to my country’s economic growth. However, taking the estimated minimum wage into consideration, PhP 275 per day, there are probably a considerable number of people in the Philippines feeling the negative effects of the new VAT regime. Although the VAT has been solely responsible for pushing the peso down to about PhP 48 to the dollar (the lowest in six years), I couldn’t help but notice that nothing in the country has changed outside the low exchange rate…

I was not expecting a significant change upon my arrival. The inherently Pinoy attitude of “bahala na” (a longer way of saying “whatever”) will not make its exit soon. But, I was expecting some sort of change to manifest itself in the economy, what with the rosy depictions of growth that several government officials profess. In recent years, several people close to me have made their way into public office, and as I watch their lives improve (how they do this, I do not even want to know) I cannot help but think about those whose lives are getting worse.

So for those of you traveling to the Philippines over the summer, consider this a travel advisory. Pack on the extra peso to offset the raised prices on… well, almost everything. Although, yes, some items are cheaper in the Philippines compared to U.S. prices, you will find that your vacation money cannot hold as much as it used to. The VAT policy is likely to stay until a) the budget deficit is cured or b) people get so poor that violent unrest starts plaguing the nation, whichever comes first. Until then, I’m going to contemplate on innovative ways to budget my precious peso.

edit by celeste-
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More information on the VAT:

• It was implemented in 1988
• The rate was raised from 10% to 12% in February 2006

To put this into perspective:

• CA’s tax rate is between 7.25% to 8.75% (the highest in the USA)
• NJ’s tax rate is 3.5% to 7%
• Hawaii has no sales tax, but excise taxes of up to 4%

Thanks Isabelle!

sources: (http://www.usig.org/countryinfo/phillipines.asp)

On Dual Citizenship and Voting in Philippine Elections

…I’m just putting this out there for anyone that qualifies and/or is interested. This is long and may get complicated, so contact me for more info if you’re interested.

Take a look at the article below (written on 8/19/06) from the Philippine News website:

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Dual citizens gain reprieve on poll listup

By Rio Araja

The Commission on Elections yesterday approved a one-month extension of registration for Filipinos overseas including those who have acquired dual citizenship.

Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. and commissioners Florentino Tuason Jr., Romeo Brawner, Rene Sarmiento and Nicodemo Ferrer approved Resolution 7694, following a Supreme Court decision allowing expatriates to register as overseas absentee-voters.

The Court invoked Republic Act 9225, otherwise known as the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003, reaffirming the suffrage right of Filipinos who were granted dual citizenship.

The high court ruled that there is no provision in the Dual Citizenship Act stipulating “dual citizens to actually establish residence and physically stay in the Philippines first before they can exercise their right to vote.”

The commission will utilize the one-month grace period to inform the Filipinos overseas about their right to take part in the poll process starting next year.

The OAV registration is supposed to end on Aug. 31.

James Arthur Jimenez, Comelec spokesman, said the poll body is likely to grant another extension “if the response is good.”

SC ruled that there is no provision in the Dual Citizenship Act stipulating “dual citizens to actually establish residence and physically stay in the Philippines first before they can exercise their right to vote.”

Abalos directed OAV registration centers in all Philippine Postal Corp. offices abroad and other centers at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and Ninoy Aquino International Airport to accept the applications of absentee-voters until Sept. 30.

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So what does this mean?

If you are a dual citizen of the Philippines and any other country, you now have the right to vote in Philippine national elections (like the upcoming 2007 senatorial elections) without having to sign an Affidavit of Intent to Return.

The whole Philippine Overseas Absentee Voting system started in 2003; however, registration turnout for the 2004 national elections was very low because people did not want to sign the Affidavit of Intent to Return which would have meant that they must establish physical residence in the Philippines within 3 years.

Just last month the Philippine Supreme Court ruled that dual citizens don’t have to sign said affidavit anymore to register to vote. This could mean that a dual citizen that hasn’t even stepped foot in the Philippines his or her entire life could vote in Philippine national elections.

So if you are a dual citizen right now and is interested in voting, you have until September 30 2006 to register. Contact me or the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles for more info.

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But wait, what if I’m not a dual citizen? Am I qualified to be one?

You are qualified to be a dual citizen if at least one parent was a Filipino citizen at the time of your birth, and that your birth must was reported to the Philippine Embassy or Consulate which exercises jurisdiction over the place of birth.

You can apply for dual citizenship if you qualify at the Philippine Consulate or Embassy.

What are the benefits of being a dual citizen?

Taken from the LA Consulate’s website:

right to vote in Philippine national elections
- right to own land and property in the Philippines
- right to engage in business or commerce as a Filipino
- right to travel bearing a Filipino passport
- other rights and privileges enjoyed by Filipino citizens

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Ok, this is getting long. Bottom line, if you are interested in either becoming a dual citizen or voting in the 2007 Philippine national elections if you currently are a dual citizen, contact me or the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles.

so she lifted it…now what?

the following appeared in the march issue of amb — and the last thing you’ll hear from me about the s.o.e. crisis and the overall political situation (until they decide to do it again!):

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The Philippines has been in a lot of world headlines this past month, and almost none of it was good news.

First came the PhilSports Arena tragedy in Manila where a lot of people died while trying to stampede into a stadium that was hosting a popular variety show. Then came the mudslide disaster in Leyte province that claimed the lives of pretty much all the residents in the village of Guinsaugon. And to top it all off, President Arroyo declared a state of emergency because of an alleged coup plot against her.

She just lifted the state of emergency a couple of days ago, and while the happenings in the Philippines aren’t gaining worldwide attention at the moment, it’s still a pretty big deal over there.

A lot of Arroyo’s opponents are still wary of her and are protesting away despite the lifting of the state of emergency. They are angry at her for a lot of reasons.

So what do they have against her anyway…? Here are a couple of reasons:

• In EDSA II (2001), Arroyo was sworn in as president by then Supreme Court Justice Hilario Davide Jr. (now retired) at the EDSA Shrine. Former President Estrada was forced out of Malacañang Palace that day when his military switched sides. He maintains to this day that he was unlawfully forced out and that he still would have been the legitimate President for the rest of his term.

• In July 2005, wiretapped tapes (a lot of debate on whether this was legal or not) surfaced that allegedly prove that President Arroyo rigged the May 2004 presidential elections, working with the head of the Commission of Elections to ensure her victory against her opponent, the widely popular action film star Fernando Poe Jr. (he died in December 2004 due to health reasons).

• During her presidency some of her family (specifically her husband) has been linked to the illegal numbers game called jueteng (and the whole Jose Pidal business – that’s another story).

• Now in February 2006, with her popularity levels really low, she declares a state of emergency (which bans rallies and grants the police the power to unwarranted arrests) and goes on to charge several congressmen, civilians, and military personnel of rebellion. Police then raid a leftist newspaper and do other things that a lot of the world saw as an assault on free press in the Philippines. People protest anyway and continually question the legality of her present and past actions.

Despite the lifting, Arroyo’s presidency is still on very shaky ground. It seems like some sort of political crisis happens in the Philippines every 6 months or so. And if the current governmental structure is maintained (meaning it doesn’t switch to a parliamentary-style government), Arroyo still has 4 years left in her term (the next presidential elections are in 2010).

For now, this crisis will probably die a slow death. But I wouldn’t be surprised if another crisis pops out soon. By then, I shouldn’t be surprised.

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an update on the s.o.e.

a couple of updates on the situation:

• the state of emergency (proclamation 1017), as of today, has not been lifted yet. pres. arroyo is planning to meet with her economic and security advisors to decide whether or not to lift it.
• several petitions have been made to the supreme court of the philippines to strike down proclamation 1017; these petitions are questioning the legality of the proclamation (whether the whole thing is constitutional or not). in the meantime, a request for a temporary restraining order against the state of emergency has been denied.
• during the state of emergency, police raided an anti-administration newspaper, the daily tribune. this is a newspaper that is obviously against pres. arroyo and has been for a long time. (and it isn’t just the opinion section — look at the stories they run.) an online version of the newspaper is here. because of this and other incidents, a lot of people (in the philippines and abroad) are condemning the state of emergency because it is attacking freedom of the press.
• there was also a brief standoff involving several marines against the arroyo administration in fort bonifacio. the colonel that led this was protesting the sacking of his commanding general, and he was calling on civilians to gather around this area in protest. not a lot of people showed up, so these marines backed down.
• several civilians, congressmen, and military personnel have been charged with rebellion and conspiracy to overthrow the government. these include gregorio “gringo” honasan (who has been implicated in many coup attempts going back to the aquino administration), reps. satur ocampo , teodoro casino, and joel virador of bayan muna, rep. liza maza of gabriela, and jose ma. sison, the self-exiled leader of the communist party of the philippines (who have an armed wing, the new people’s army).

more to come as it develops….