Be the Anvil. Or the Hammer.

Du mußt steigen oder sinken,
Du mußt herrschen und gewinnen,
Oder dienen und verlieren,
Leiden oder triumphieren,
Amboß oder Hammer sein.
- Goethe

“You must rise or sink, you must either conquer and rule or serve and lose, suffer or triumph, be the anvil or the hammer.”

Neal Cruz explains how Alan Cayetano got screwed

by the COMELEC, Arroyo's Supreme Court, and Juju's handlers:

Another priority that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should attend to is the disqualification of nuisance candidates. It is not difficult to recognize nuisance candidates. They are the candidates who cannot wage a national campaign, such as in a senatorial election which can cost a candidate hundreds of millions of pesos, or those who have the same name as a better-known and more credible candidate. The purpose of the nuisance candidate is to spoil the chances of the other candidate. With two candidates with the same surname, votes for that surname without any first name are considered “stray” and are not counted. Thus, the candidates lose many votes that way.

Of course, candidates who are adversely affected are quick to file disqualification cases. Because of the limited campaign period, and the time it takes to disseminate Comelec decisions and instructions to employees in the field, it is imperative for the Comelec to resolve these disqualification cases quickly.

But as in the resolution of election protests, the Comelec is very lackadaisical in deciding disqualification cases. Thus, the affected candidate loses precious time.

Take the case of Alan Peter Cayetano and Joselito “Peter” Cayetano. Anybody with a modicum of common sense can readily see that Joselito is a nuisance candidate. He is a poor worker who lives in a small house in a rural area. It is obvious he cannot wage a national campaign for senator. Even his relatives were amazed at his candidacy. And his nickname is not “Peter” but “Jojo.” It is obvious that he was persuaded to file his certificate of candidacy and use the nickname “Peter” to hew as close as possible to the name of Alan Peter Cayetano. The Comelec eventually found him a nuisance candidate and disqualified him. But when did it promulgate its decision? One day before the elections.

Then the Comelec said it could not remove his name from the list of candidates because the decision had not yet become final. Joselito had five days to appeal to the Supreme Court, which he did. Until now, the Supreme Court has not decided the case although anybody except the justices can readily see who is the nuisance candidate -- and the elections are already over.

To make matters worse, the Department of Education circulated instructions to teachers to consider all votes for “Cayetano” (with no first name) as “stray” and not count them. Ordinarily, these votes were set aside and then counted later in favor of whoever wins the disqualification case. But with the education department order, the Cayetano votes were not counted and forever lost, and can no longer be counted for Alan Peter even if he wins the case in the Supreme Court.

So you see, by delaying its decision on the disqualification case, it was as if the Comelec decided in favor of Joselito, or whoever his backers are. The purpose of his nuisance candidacy was achieved: to deny votes to Alan Peter Cayetano.

Disappointed at Joker

Conrad de Quiros is disappointed with Joker Arroyo's stance on the Burgos case.

Well, the old Joker is gone and dead.

UPDATE: Buking ang militar. If you're gonna kill someone, better make sure they're dead.

dead men tell no tales.

The PNP recently filed murder charges against 12 military men, led by a major, for the killing of Protestant pastor Isaias Sta. Rosa in Daraga, Albay. The government is citing the PNP’s action as proof of its determination to go after state agents acting as executioners.

The Sta. Rosa case, however, was a fluke in that the killers failed to do a clean job. The pastor was snatched from his home by men in uniforms, taken to a remote place and shot. The victim, a martial arts expert, was able to seize the gun of one of his abductors and succeeded in killing him before he himself succumbed to his wounds. The body of the abductor yielded an ID showing he was a member of military intelligence.

A similar modus operandi characterizes the killing of most activists. The AFP, when confronted with such killings, bristle at the accusations. "Where’s the evidence, where’s the evidence?" AFP officials would ask like a broken record.

Of course, there could be no evidence as the victim would no longer be in a position to testify. As we said, the Sta. Rosa case was a fluke. If there’s a lesson to be learned from the filing of charges against Sta. Rosa’s killers, it is that the executioners had better be sure they did a clean job.

Maka-Admin si Naida Angping?

The admin is claiming na administration candidate siya.

Among the winners from the administration coalition:

Jaime C. Lopez (Lakas), Second District, Manila; Zenaida Angpin (NPC), Third District, Manila; Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David (Kampi), Fourth District, Manila; Amado Bagatsing (Kampi), Fifth District, Manila; Bienvenido Abante Jr. (Lakas), Sixth District, Manila;

Ang alam ko yung talunan na si Miles Roces ng (LAKAS-LP) ang maka Arroyo. Isa pa, yung asawa niyang si Harry Angping ay isa sa mga main FPJ supporters sa Maynila? At hindi ba pakulo ng admin at ni Roces/Atienza ang disqualification effort kay Harry boy?

UPDATE: Yup, maka-admin nga. ;)

Zero votes for Lacson in Maguindanao

From the Tribune:

Genuine Opposition (GO) senatorial bet Panfilo Lacson yesterday filed a complaint before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) protesting the zero votes that he supposedly got in Maguindanao province.

Lacson, who is in third place in the latest Comelec tally, said it is impossible for him not to get any votes in the province, stressing he had never had zero votes from any of the municipalities in Maguindanao, even during the 2004 presidential elections, where he ranked third in the province.

“It’s impossible, it’s highly improbable at least for me to be getting zero votes because this is my third election, even during the presidential campaign, I didn’t get a zero vote there. FPJ (late opposition standard-bearer Fernando Poe Jr.’s initials) got zero in two municipalities there, but I never got zero votes in any of the municipalities, so how come...unless all my supporters there died,” the reelectionist senator said.

According to Lacson, his complaint is backed by affidavits from people who were not allowed to vote during the elections in the province.

He added they also have an affidavit from the board of election inspectors (BEI) that served in the province.

Tumahimik ka na Lacson, and just follow this idiot's advice to just shut up and move on na! raw. lolololol...

MORE: Palace berates Lacson over poll fraud evidence baring

US gov't pleased overall with RP elections

Unfortunately, Ganyan rin ang sinabi nila nung 2004 elections.

Concerned raw sila sa violence na nagaganap sa election natin, pero overall successful raw ang elections natin.

From the Tribune:

A senior US State Department official yester-day took cognizance of violence-marred elections in the Philippines.

“I know there have been some problems with violence,” US Assistant Secretary for East Asian and the Pacific Christopher Hill said.

“But I would say overall the elections have been very successful and a real sign that the Philippines has a very well developed democracy. It has never been an easy process,” he added.

Earlier, international human rights watchdog Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) found “extremely appalling” the extent of deaths, violence, cheating and corrupt practices that have occurred during the recently concluded national and local elections.

I'm sure tuwang tuwa si Arroyo sa hatol ng US.

More from GMA7:

A visiting senior US State Department official on Friday said Washington has taken note of the turbulent midterm elections in the Philippines conducted last May 14.

“These are pretty tough elections. Were pleased that overall, elections have gone forward. We know that there are some cases, problems. We know authorities are investigating these," said US Assistant Secretary for East Asian and the Pacific Christopher Hill in a GMA News interview.

Hill said although the polls have been marred by violence and charges of fraud, the Philippines has proven again that democracy is operating effectively.

“When you look at the standard of the region, it’s not bad at all," he said.

Hill’s view sharply contrasted with the International human rights watchdog Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) findings.

AHRC said it found “extremely appalling" the extent of deaths, violence, cheating and corrupt practices that have occurred during the recently concluded balloting.

I guess if you're going to compare us to china or myanmar, panalo tayo!

UPDATE: Heh. I'm So Ronery, So ronery and sadry arone...

They need to Youtube this

Evidence of cheating captured on video by cellphones. Sen. Lacson has obtained a copy of the video, and he will release it to the media.

From the Tribune:

Proof of ARMM fraud bared in video footage

Jojo Arazas and Kristine V. Torres

05/26/2007

The Genuine Opposition yesterday put its money where its mouth is, as GO winning senatorial candidate Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson yesterday bared before the media incontrovertible proof of cheating actively engaged in by police and military elements, as well as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) officers through a dated and timed video footage taken from a cellphone, along with witnesses and affidavits all attesting to the poll fraud that occured in Lanao del Sur.

Criminal charges are being readied by GO’s legal counsel in the Lanao del Sur province against officials of the Comelec in the Second District of Sulu island with Lacson vowing to assist the witnesses and the lawyers when they file the charges before the Office of the Ombudsman on Monday.

The move is part of Lacson’s three part evidence of poll cheating that included a video footage, numerous pages of affidavits, and the persons who witnessed the fraud in Sulu.

Really, they need to youtube this ASAP.

Hello World!

Ito ang bumulaga sa akin when i visited MLQ3's blog. Na hack siguro ng mga kampon ng admin. lololololo....

Kay ellen rin, down yung site niya. What's going on here?

Pati sa malaya, suspended na naman.

Aleck Bovick got bigger

you go, girl!

Fr. Panlilio should quit priesthood

and focus on being governor of Pampanga. If you don't want to quit the priesthood, then one should not enter politics.

Mga iba pang nanalo (Lokal)

From Ernie Maceda:

- Rufus Rodriguez won as congressman of Cagayan de Oro

- Yul Servo and Jong Isip won as Councilors of the third district of Manila

- Naida Angping won over Miles Roces for the House seat sa 3rd District ng MayniLA.

- Talo si rep. Gilbert Remulla.

- Panalo si Lani Cayetano, asawa ni Alan Cayetano for congressman in the 1st district of Taguig Pateros.

Hitchens on Falwell's foul rantings

if you're a rev. jerry falwell fan, DON'T READ THIS. hehe..

Why is Malaya.com.ph always getting suspended?

Ayun, hindi na naman namin ma-access ang anti-Arroyo paper na Malaya newspaper.

"Rodriguez to Oden."

You'll be hearing that from Blazer announcers for a long time. Congrats to Portland for winning the NBA draft.

Encourage witnesses and teachers to step forward and blow whistle on fraud

the opposition, NGOs, and other watchdog groups should find these witnesses (all over the country) of fraud and encourage them to step forward and tell us everything they saw and know about the dagdag bawas operations that took place in their areas.

Cardinal Rosales: Cheating in 07 Elections very small compared to Marcos' time

I heard Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales say that today on the AM Radio.

Previous:

- Extrajudicial killings today a "mere blood speck."
- Rosales on Gloriagate: "We have bigger fish to fry than Arroyo."

Eyewitness to Cheating

more reports of GARAPALAN na pandaraya and election fraud are coming out, from Rina Jimenez David.

Every vote must count for Alan Cayetano

The COMELEC's a disgrace. "Disqualified" raw si Juju, pero nasa balota pa rin ang pangalan niya, at "stray votes" raw ang mga "Cayetano" votes. LOL.

I think what the opposition should do now (especially Cayetano's fellow senatoriables) is to rally behind Alan Cayetano NOW (kahit na hindi pa tapos ang bilangan), hold a presscon, and condemn the COMELEC's disenfranchisement of Alan Cayetano voters. Habang maaga pa. Every Cayetano vote must count for Alan Cayetano, and not for that phony Pidal nuisance candidate Juju "the invisible man" Cayetano.

A recount may be needed. I'm also interested to know how many teachers followed the DEPED memorandum to count the Cayetano votes as stray. We need to get some teachers who did not count the Cayetano or "Alan Cayetano" votes to come out in public. We need to know kung gaano kalaki ang nawalang boto kay Alan Cayetano.

From the PDI Editorial:

Other parts of the anti-Cayetano strategy, however, have been characterized by the same brazenness, the same use of legal form to hide criminal intent.

It took a division of the Abalos Comelec more than a month to disqualify Joselito Cayetano—the man who went by the nickname “Jojo” but listed his nickname in the certificate of candidacy as “Peter”—as a nuisance candidate. He was unknown and unqualified—not because of his poverty but because of his lack of capacity to run a nationwide campaign. Indeed, the fact that he did not give media interviews (the kind of free publicity any serious candidate hungers for) should have been enough reason to see through the nature of his candidacy. That he called himself Peter, obviously to cause his namesake congressman mischief at the polls, should have quickly led to the same conclusion: This Cayetano was not a serious candidate. That it took the Comelec en banc another six weeks to confirm the division’s finding shows that the deliberate delay was really part of the strategy. The decision came out on May 11, the last Friday before elections.

Deliberate confusion was another key part of that strategy. The day after the May 11 decision, the Abalos Comelec issued a reminder that the disqualification of Joselito Cayetano was not yet final—and that therefore he remained a candidate. On election day itself, the Department of Education issued a memorandum, signed by Undersecretary Franklin Sunga, directing teachers not to include “Cayetano-only” votes in the count: “if only the word Cayetano is written on the ballot, the vote shall be considered stray.”

We cannot remember any other instance when the DepEd, the government’s largest single agency, ever issued a memorandum essentially protecting a nuisance candidate. The long arm of Malacañang is long indeed.

UPDATE: Now this is just sick.

Election inspectors in Obando, Bulacan, voided votes for “Alan Cayetano” after an election supervisor went around the precincts in the town telling the Boards of Election Inspectors that it was he—not Joselito Pepito Cayetano—who had been disqualified.

It was Joselito Cayetano, a senatorial candidate of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, who was disqualified by the Commission on Elections on May 11 for being a “nuisance.” But the decision was not yet final.

Closer to the Comelec’s central office in Manila, BEIs in the city’s sixth district also shunned the votes for Alan Cayetano, a senatorial candidate of the Genuine Opposition, because of guidance from certain Comelec officials in the area.

If our election officials are untrustworthy, WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

And automating our election systems won't really help much. It'll only make it more easier to cheat. Kumbaga, you won't even know it.

Sabi nga ng isang DIEBOLD spokesperson (sila yung gumagawa ng mga voting machines, back in May 12, 2006:

David Bear, a spokesman for Diebold Election Systems, said the potential risk existed because the company’s technicians had intentionally built the machines in such a way that election officials would be able to update their systems in years ahead.

“For there to be a problem here, you’re basically assuming a premise where you have some evil and nefarious election officials who would sneak in and introduce a piece of software,” he said. “I don’t believe these evil elections people exist.”

The admin gets the last laugh. Unless we can do the following:

2) A Zero Tolerance Approach to Cheating. It's a two-step process. First, reform the COMELEC and do a thorough housecleaning within the Election commission of all those involved in the dagdag bawas operations of 2004, and those who helped lie and coverup for those guilty COMELEC officials. Second, automate our voting system. But we need to do the COMELEC housecleaning first.

Another power rate increase coming up

More bad news for us consumers. From Neal Cruz:

But here is more bad news: Electricity rates in Metro Manila will increase again soon. The reason is the high prices being traded at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

Because of the low availability of power plants running on cheaper fuel such as coal and geothermal energy, power rates at the WESM during the April billing cycle soared by P2 per kWh, to P8 per kWh from P5.936 per kWh in March.

The impact of the drastic rise in the WESM prices on the four million Meralco customers was calculated to be at 50 centavos per kWh, to be lumped as a component of its generation charge.

Since there is a regulatory lag, the pass-on of this increase will be deferred until such time that the Energy Regulatory Commission approves the Meralco application. But just the same, it will eventually shock consumers when they receive their electricity bills.

This is the third unusual price increase since the electricity spot market opened last year. And we are again witnessing the evil hand of the mafia in the National Power Corp.

What happened to the "low power rates" promised by Malacanang?

Official Statement of NAMFREL-Maguindanao

Got this email from Leah Navarro:

> Official statement of Namfrel-Maguindanao on the Quick
> Count of Elections in the Province of Maguindanao
>
> To date, NAMFREL-Maguindanao does not have NAMFREL's
> 6th copy of election returns from 22 municipalities of
> Maguindanao. Our volunteers reported the following:
>
> 1. Except for members of the Board of Election
> Inspectors (BEI), no other persons or organizations,
> including NAMFREL volunteers, were allowed access to
> the centralized counting of votes for all
> municipalities in the Maguindanao Provincial Capitol.
>
> 2. Our volunteers were told that municipal election
> officers issued a verbal order to withhold release of
> all copies of the ERs, including NAMFREL's 6th copy.
> In most cases, municipal COMELEC officers did not
> recognize the appointment of our NAMFRL municipal
> chairpersons.
>
> Since our quick count is based on the NAMFREL copies
> which were not made available to us,
> NAMFREL-Maguindanao will not be able to announce quick
> count results for the elections in the province. In
> view of what we perceive as systematic withholding of
> the ERs to NAMFREL that casts doubts on the integrity
> of the 6th copy of the election returns, we will still
> not include the Maguindanao results in our quick count
> even if they are not made available to us in the
> following days.
>
> May 19, 2007, Cotabato City.
>
>
> (Sgd.) Fr. Eduardo G. Tanudtanud, OMI
> Chairman, NAMFREL Maguindanao and
> Shariff Kabungsuan