COMELEC dismisses “frivolity”, Manila Hotel not final

Commission of Elections (Comelec) Spokesman James Jimenez slammed frivolity claims against the commission on Wednesday, April 6, in defense of Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista’s proposal to hold the canvassing of votes at the Manila Hotel.

“As with any process like this, you’re not just looking at the cost… So if people think that it’s all about frivolity then perhaps it would be enlightening if they would inquire deeper into the thing that they’re commenting on rather than just engaging in knee-jerk reactions,” Jimenez said in a press conference at the Palacio del Gobernador.

This was in response to criticisms that the Comelec keeps allocating funds on unnecessary expenditures –like the P26.55-million ‘bib vest’ uniforms (READ) they were previously planning to buy for election-day volunteers.

And now, as confirmed by Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, Bautista is eyeing the Manila Hotel as venue for the canvassing of votes instead of the government-owned and traditionally used Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

But according to Jimenez, the Manila Hotel Tent City is larger and may even be the cheaper option as opposed to the PICC.

“It’s very easy to stroke outrage using a few keywords. Just use words that people normally equate with luxury – for instance, like Manila Hotel. ‘Hotel, ergo luxury, ergo expensive.’ That’s not fair, right?” he added.

Securing the venue

Jimenez also assured the public regarding the security of a private facility like the Manila Hotel.

According to him, unauthorized people can approach the PICC from three different directions whereas “the only access to the public for the Manila Hotel would be through a gated entrance, and then a driveway, which is easily secured because that’s just the one entrance.”

He also stressed that if ever the canvassing does take place in the Manila Hotel, it would be on its tents and not in the hotel itself, which is something he thinks the people might not know.

“So kung wala naman masyadong detalye, or kulang sa detalye, sana na lang wag na lang masyadong maging eager din to suddenly lash out,” he advised.

(So if they don’t know all the details, or there they don’t know enough, I wish people were not so eager to suddenly lash out.)

But amidst all the talking, he clarified that the decision for the venue is still not final and is still being carefully thought out –from who will be part of the National Board of Canvassers to the space needed to accommodate them.

(Listen to soundbite here.)

Where are the GIs, ballots?

Jimenez also announced April 9 as the release of the amended general instructions for the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) during the presscon.

The Supreme Court’s decision to activate the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail, or the voter receipts, forced Comelec to revise its general instructions to properly guide the BEIs on the added feature of the vote counting machines.

But considering the decision came out a month ago, concerns were raised on what was taking the Comelec so long and whether they will be able to reach their set date.

“The GI (general instruction) has to be comprehensive. It has to be able to foresee as many possible permutations of events as possible. Hindi yan madali,” he said. (That is not easy.)

“It is our responsibility to do whatever we can to do this right; that’s why it’s taking a little time,” he added.

Still, he was confident that this wasn’t an “insurmountable problem”.

He said even without the general instructions, the BEIs have already gone through several refresher courses that have to do with the receipt.

These are general procedures like being alert in yanking receipts off from the machine, providing receptacles for the receipts, and making sure none of the receipts leave the voting precinct.

Meanwhile, ballot printing is estimated to finish by April 10 –two weeks earlier than the April 25 target.

VP Debate

Jimenez invited the public to catch the rare face-off between the vice presidential candidates on Sunday, April 10, at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavillion.

CNN Philippines, the organizers for this leg of the #PiliPinasDebates2016, said it will feature key topics like corruption, poverty, human rights and connectivity.

No matter who wins, those people can't fix your life. Only Jesus can. #pilipinasdebates2016 #PILIpinas #miriamforpresident

Magbabanat ka ng buto sa pagsasaka, babaratin ka ng trader at ikaw pa ang lugi may utang ka pa, gagagwin mo ng tama ang iyong trabaho pero ang sipsip o kamag-anak ni bosing sila ang maganda ang schedule sila ang mataas ang sweldo. Pipila ka sisingitan ka naman, magbabayad ka ng kuryente kakabitan ng jumper ang linya mo. Itong sistemang ito ang nasimulan nating baguhin sa Daang Matuwid. Sinita natin ang mga sumisingit at tinangal natin ang mga jumper... Dapat natin ipaglaban ang Daang Matuwid, kung may kulang punuin natin, kung may mali, itama natin, para dito sa ating bansa tuluyan na makapamuhay tayo kung saan nagtatagumpay ang desente. Iniimbita ko po kayo, ibalik natin ang Pilipinas sa mga desenteng tao.

Mar Roxas on the 2nd 2016 Presidential Debate. (Excerpt from his closing statement)

This statement is an example of Appeal to Pity--the attempt to distract from the truth of the conclusion by the use of pity. It also attempts to persuade using emotion, specifically sympathy, instead of evidence. 

An open letter for those people who keeps on throwing the negative sides of Mayor Du30:

 After watching this short clip from FB, dun lang talaga ako naging desidido. 50/50 talaga ako if Duterte or Miriam noon. I like Miriam’s platform more than Duterte but I’m a firm believer that OUR COUNTRY NEEDS Duterte MORE right now. I think he’s more capable of solving the issues of our nation. Scarborough Shoal, poverty, criminality, corrupt politicians, and unfair judgement. Sya na very aggresive about those matters and he’s a man of strength. Yung iba kasi masyado ng exage, binabato kay mayor duterte yung way of speaking nya, yung pumapatay sya, na baka mag martial law if sya yung magiging presidente and yung rape joke (tho’ i agree that the rape joke was not really funny but he said his apologies naman at wala naman syang record na may nirape sya). I mean come on! that was way back 1989 bakit ngayon nyo lang bino-brought up? Why? because he’s running for the biggest position in our country? his way of speaking? kayo ba sa buhay nyo hindi kayo nag mura? I bet not, nasa 21st century na tayo mygahd. Why are we being a hypocrite?! Wala na tayo sa panahon ng mga espanyol na kaylangan natin mag pakabanal para lang mapunta sa langit. Come on guys, we know better now and we should learn from it. Let’s look on what he’s capable of doing if he’s gonna be the next president. Isipin nyo na lang if he don’t really fit to be in that position, bakit yung mga taga davao, they keep on supporting mayor du30? despite of all these accusations? mas kilala nila kung pano mamahala si du30. And aren’t you one of those people na gustong gusto patakbuhin si du30 noon? Sige sagutin nyo. Do this country a favor for once! Vote for either Du30 or Miriam! They’re the only person that can do a BIG CHANGE in our country. WAKE UP! Wag padala sa mga sabi sabi and don’t base your vote on polls or other people. ESPECIALLY SA MEDIA. sabi nga samin ng prof namin sa Media Criticism “The Media is not telling us what to think but what to think about.” They’re manipulating our minds. They’re desperate. kaya better yet, DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. Analyze and vote!. This goes the same with other positions. Ayun lang wala lang gusto ko lang talagang iexpress to. ge ge ge. zzzz

“God preserve this country and begin it with me.”

-Miriam Defensor Santiago

#Miriam2016

‘Yung Nabobobohan Ka Na Sa Supporters Ng Ibang Kandidato

Kapag binubuksan ko ngayon ang Facebook timeline ko, halos lahat nang posts ng friends ko ay tungkol sa pulitika. Kani-kaniyang endorse ng mga kandidatong gustong manalo! Siyempre, ako rin may kandidatong sinusuportahan.

Pero may napansin lang ako ha. May ilan akong Christian friends na nakakasindak na ang passion para sa kandidato nila. Nakakatakot na eh. Parang 'pag nakasalubong ko sa daan lalaslasin niya leeg ko 'pag 'di ko binoto kandidato niya.

Hay.

Because I love all of you, guys, I am writing this blog as a reminder that even in our political engagements, we must ensure that the light of Christ shines through our language, especially on social media.

The agony is understandable. The frustration is real. Oo, maraming dapat i-improve sa bansa natin na minsan nakakapikon na bakit 'di magawa ng mga pulitiko. Nakaka-mad max! Nakaka-irita repulsa! But let us not conform to the pattern of this world Madaling magpaka-barumbado at mambastos at magpaka-arogante sa social media dahil walang accountability. 

Pero Christians tayo, ok? We must refrain from using the language of the angry mob nor the voice of the supremacist know-it-all.

If we would engage in political discourses, it would help our testimony if we would watch our tone carefully. It's easily discernible who's being arrogant in these types of conversations. Avoid personal attacks. Use sarcasm sparingly. Watch your words.

Sabihin na nating bilib na bilib ka sa kandidato mo o magaling talaga siya; pero wag mo naman maliitin ang ibang tao dahil lang iba ang sinusuportahan nila. Iwasan natin ang name-calling. 'Wag gamitin ang mga salitang kagaya ng "bobo". Don't be condescending to people from other camps as though they're cretin unblest with the divine brain you, on the other hand, are gifted with.

Naku napakasakit sa mata kapag nababasa ko galing sa mga Christian lalo na 'yang salitang "bobo". Minsan pa nga pati "mongoloid" o "abnormal" o "retarded" nagamit na :(

Christian tayo. 'Wag sana tayong maging arogante dahil sobrang proud tayo sa kandidatong sinusuportahan natin--kahit sino pa 'yan. We don't need to belittle others just to prove our point. There's this thing called magnanimity. Ito 'yan:

Ang linaw ‘di ba, magnanimity is the quality of being magnanimous hahahaha!!! Ano naman ang alam natin sa magnanimous, ‘di ba? Ice cream ba ‘yan? Unfortunately, hindi. Ito ‘yan:

Ito pa:

With pronunciation pa ‘yan ah. Para alam n’yo kung nasaan ang schwa.

Christians, be magnanimous as you campaign for your candidate. Let’s be gracious in our speech.

And vote for Joel TESDAMAN Villanueva for senator. Haha pagbigyan n'yo na 'ko blog ko naman 'to.

Anyway, 'yan lang naman ang saloobin ko tungkol sa kung paano tayo dapat makilahok sa mga pulitikal na diskursong nagaganap. Nawa'y makita sa atin ang pagiging totoong anak ng Diyos kahit napaka-divisive ng pulitika.

My Digong Moment

Me when I realize I'm about to follow blahblah's ig: Stop. S-T-O-P. Just stop.

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46I5vOtpIgo)

Eh kasi naman.

May sense naman talaga ‘yung mga sinasabi ni Mar Roxas sadyang hindi mo lang pinakikinggan. Feeling mo kasi cool kid ka kapag anti-Mar ka. Sumasabay ka lang naman sa bandwagon.

Hindi ako pro-Mar pero eh kasi naman, ‘di ba?

You can’t even trust the media right now...

Missed listening of Pilipinas Debates 2016? Get free audio download. DZMM HOST: Julius Babao and Jing Casteneda. Option with radio ad.

unpopular rant about Du30

let’s be honest here. Hindi mo talaga maiiwasang magdobleng isip if si Duterte ang iboboto mo. Probably, hindi siya ang iboboto mo. It could be Santiago ( I highly encourage you to vote for her if not duterte or the other candidates), Binay ( i hope not ), Poe (well...), Roxas ( kung diyan ka sasaya ).  

Ngayong sobrang lapit na para magdesisyon kayo para sa pagbabago ng Pilipinas, most of you are probably still undecided if Duterte is the right choice.

Lalo na ngayong sobrang daming issues. Duterte joking about the raped Australian, Duterte taunting the Australians, Duterte fighting the Americans, Duterte criticizing women. 

To be honest, I am not a voter. Just a kid, who cares for her country. I am tired of all the bulls this country is facing. 

But I’d rather see who Duterte really is now. I’d rather hear his bad words now than having to hear the flowery words of the other three candidates then having to experience another 6 years of a disappointing government. 

I saw what he has done in Davao, I saw how  the fine for smoking is 10 000 pesos (I think), I walked outside Davao in 10 in the evening without any fear. I experienced riding a cab in the middle of the night knowing the cab driver can be trusted.

Seeing how biased media can be, cutting his interviews, changing his statements, it is still up to us. 

If you watched his closing statement yesterday in the #PiliPinasDebates2016, sinabi niya na STOP daw, just obey the law. Tama siya, nasa atin pa din ang pag-unlad ng Pilipinas. Alam natin na kayang patigilin ang krimen, ang kung ano mang problemang hinaharap ng ating bansa, kaya dapat sa atin muna tayo magsimula and to help us with that is a leader we know has the capability to bring out the best in this country.

Yun lang lol thanks

I was actually disappointed by Mayor Digong’s answer to Grace Poe’s question about women. 

“That is what I am. You are you. I am I.” 

Like, for someone who wants to discipline our countrymen, for someone who wants to change this country, why don’t you change and discipline yourself first? You’re running for President, the youth will look up to you. You think its okay to treat women like that? 

Si Mar un kaklase mo nun 2nd year hs na tanging gumawa ng assignment sa religion kaya di sya napalabas. While buong class ay nasa corridor.

Lagi na lang bias.

Kapag si Alma Moreno ang ginisa ni Karen Davila: “She’s just doing her job.”

Pero kapag ‘yung candidate niyo ‘yung ginisa: “T*ngina mo, Karen! Bias ka!”

Politikang ina talaga ng mga tao.