COMELEC proclaims Espino as governor-elect of Pangasinan

Lingayen- – -With 71 percent total votes canvassed as of press time, Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. was proclaimed as the governor-elect of Pangasinan as he posted 809,165 votes against Mayor Hernani Braganza’s 280,967 earmarking an overwhelming difference of 528,198.
The governor, who is considered as a runaway winner, is serving his third term on July 1 along with Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim, Jr. who was also proclaimed by the Commission on Elections this morning with other winning candidates that include Congressman Jesus “Boying” Celeste (1st district), Congressman Leopoldo Bataoil (2nd district), and Cong. Carmen Kimi Cojuangco (5th district), who was represented by former Congressman and NPC Chair Mark Cojuangco.
Gov. Espino expressed elation over his resounding victory which marks his final term as the provincial chief executive even as he thanked his supporters for believing in him and for embracing the transformation that he initiated since 2007.
The governor vowed to continue the vision he has set for Pangasinan specifically on health reform, environment protection, peace and order, tourism, agriculture and the rest of the present administration’s ten-point thrust.
It can be recalled that Gov. Espino suffered major setbacks in the last few months with charges and cases filed against him including black propaganda during the campaign period.
However, the governor called for Pangasinenses to “unite and work together” now for a more progressive province.
“I am open for reconciliation. Magtulongan na lamang tayo kagaya nga ng sinabi nila na bayan muna bago bulsa,” Gov. Espino said as he further noted that he continuously gives his full support to the mandate of President Aquino ever since the start.
“Buong-puso po akong sumusuporta sa lahat ng kanyang adhikain,” he said even as he stressed that politics must be put aside and start anew to further the cause of development for Pangasinan.
Also present during the proclamation rite was newly-elect Alaminos City Mayor Arthur F. Celeste. (PIO/Ruby R. Bernardino)

News Feature: Old age is not a hindrance to vote

by April M. Montes

BINMALEY, Pangasinan, May 13 (PIA) – Despite her frail features and poor eyesight, a senior citizen in barangay San Isidro Sur, in this town, attended the polling area with a desire to take part in the midterm elections and choose the next leaders of the land.

She is Mrs. Emiliana Aquino, who at the age of 79, was able to cast her vote at precinct 197-A with the help of her granddaughter Rosalie Andaya.

Aquino told the Philippine Information Agency that she picked her candidates based on their platforms.

“Pinapanuod ko sa TV yong mga balita tungkol sa mga kandidato,” (I am watching the television to know the news about the candidates), she said.

“Nana Mily,” as she is fondly called by her family and friends, said that she prepared a “kodigo” (cheat sheet) with names of the candidates on it before going to her designated precinct this afternoon.

“Ginawa namin ‘yon kagabi at ‘yon ang dinikta ko kay Rosalie noong bumuboto na ako,” (We made it (the list) last night and I dictated it to Rosalie when I voted), said Aquino.

Aquino is just one of those senior citizens in the country who continues to exercise their right to suffrage despite her old age.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ensured that elderly persons are given due priority this May 13 polls.

The Comelec prompted the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) to make them a top priority along with persons with disabilities. (MCA/AMM/PIA-1, Pangasinan)

 

Espino buries rival in avalanche of votes in Pangasinan

Re-electionist Gov. Amado T. Espino rode on the crest of an avalanche of votes that buried his rival in the race for governorship in Pangasinan, precinct tally sheets canvassed by the Municipal Board of election Inspectors (MBEI) in 44 towns and three cities collected as of 2 pm today had shown.
Espino romped off with a total of 699,573 votes, almost three times those cast in favor of Alaminos Mayor Hernani Braganza at 237,109 votes in total unofficially count from 44 towns and three cities in Pangasinan.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Pangasinan recorded a low turn-out of voters of 59.9 percent actually casting their ballots  out  of 1.5 million  registered voters in the province. Cast votes added up to about 936,682.
Votes cast for both gubernatorial candidates totaled 893,196 leaving just about 20,000 votes to be counted.
Espino buried Braganza with a 462,464 margin, sealing his win short of official confirmation by the COMELEC.
In the contest for vice governorship, re-electionist Ferdinand Calimlim collected a commanding 575,664 votes against former PNP chief Arturo Lomibao’s  244,544  votes, posting an equally comfortable cushion for a sure victory.
District results confirmed an earlier survey that Braganza, a former congressman of the first district of Pangasinan, put up a valiant fight in his home district but still lost by a range of 40-60 in favor of Espino.
In Alaminos City where Braganza was an incumbent mayor, Espino shoveled in 8,969 votes while the mayor pocketed only 5,954 votes.
The beating was worse in the town of Asingan, home of Braganza’s uncle, former President Fidel Ramos, where he got only 6,675 votes against Espino’s 18,937 votes.
In five other congressional districts, Espino earned a low of 71 percent to a high of 79 percent of all the votes, leaving the contender to lose in all districts except in one remote town.

Governor Votes

Goverbor Amado T Espino Jr. during the election

Goverbor Amado T Espino Jr. during the election

Governor Amado T. Espino of Pangasinan watches his ballot getting processed in a PCOS machine  in a voting precinct in Bugallon, Pangasinan, allaying rumors circulating in the province on election day that he has been arrested . The provincial executive has decried the virtual putting of Pangasinan under “police state” with the fielding of  cops and soldiers in camouflage uniform and armed to the teeth in every town despite the fact that the province is peaceful enough not to merit being put under COMELEC control..

Garrison state in Pangasinan

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Reelectionist Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. of the Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC) decried the “overzealousness” of the special teams of the Philippine National Police deputized by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) supposedly to keep the electoral exercise peaceful and safe in Pangasinan.
According to Espino, a retired police officer himself, he was surprised to see several armored personnel carriers (APCs) in constant run through major highways of the province.
Aside from APCs, a battalion of fatigue-wearing troopers bearing automatic rifles are posted in strategic zones where Espino and the other NPC candidates for local positions are believed enjoying “irreversible wins.”
A pre-poll survey by Data Advisors Inc. gave Espino 78.5% against Braganza’s 21.1%. The Iglesia ni Cristo, known for its block-voting, picked Espino as the church’s gubernatorial bet.
“With the uncommon movement of troops, it looks like Pangasinan is under siege,” lamented NPC Rep. Kimi Cojuangco of the province’s fifth congressional district, wife of former Rep. Mark Cojuangco, a cousin of Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino, who chairs the NPC in Pangasinan.
The lady solon condemned in a radio interview the Police Provincial Office (PPO) under Sr. Supt. Marlo Chan for allegedly harassing several NPC candidates in the province and in Dagupan City while turning a blind eye to alleged massive vote-buying operations by the Liberal Party.
In San Quintin, Pangasinan, 10 NPC barangay captains were harassed  and    ordered to stay in their homes, preventing them from monitoring vote-buying in their territories reportedly on orders of Provincial  police chief Marlo Chan, reelectionist NPC town mayor Romulo Antolin complained to the news media.
Chan is a native of San Quintin who is supporting the opponent of Antolin, his estranged brother-in-law.

Braganza and son maul Celeste supporter

ALAMINOS CITY – Liberal Party gubernatorial candidate Hernani Braganza and son, Lean who is running for mayor of this city, reportedly “went wild” last night and led in the mauling of a staunch supporter of former Cong. Arthur Celeste, a mayoral bet of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).
The incident was reported by the mauling victim himself, Marco Dalin, who said he was beaten up black-and-blue by five armed men in civilian clothes believed to be goons of Braganza, in Barangay Tawing-Tawing, this city, at about 10:30 last night (May 12, 2013).
According to Dalin, he was mauled in the presence of Braganza and his police escorts.
Dalin claimed he was monitoring an alleged vote-buying spree by Braganza’s followers in a thickly populated neighborhood along a road in the barangay when accosted and mauled by men of the LP gubernatorial bet. Dalin suffered severe cuts in the face and head, requiring four stiches to mend.
Dalin’s account was later aired over Aksyon Radyo-Dagupan.
Minutes after Dalin’s mauling, Braganza’s men chased Sonny Paragas, and four of his companions who rushed to the scene where Dalin was beaten up.
Braganza’s goons caught up with Paragas’s group and told them to “put up or shut up” on the reported vote-buying, otherwise, they, too, will suffer similar injuries like Dalin.
Surprisingly, a check with the Alaminos City Police Station revealed no record of the incident.
In a related development, 10 barangay captains of  NPC re-electionist  Romulo Antolin in the town of San Quintin complained they were prevented  from monitoring last-minute vote-buying by LP operators  in the presence of policemen. The vote-buyers had a field day distributing cash, the barangay officials said.
Distribution of cash to voters continued in the presence of policemen  as people trooped to presincts this morning.
In yet another incident of harassment, Braganza’s police escorts intercepted a van with a group of supporters of reelectionist Rep. Jesus “Boying” Celeste on board near the Alaminos-Bolinao boundary and forcibly seached the vehicle which frightened the passengers.
Accosted by the police in that incident were Timi Domingo of Bolinao town and a certain Angerico Navarro, both campaign supporters of Celeste.

(HnB): Poll bet vows support for agri-agra sector

MANILA, May 9 (PNA) – A 2013 party list contender set in its target legislative agenda several measures for further helping the country’s agriculture and agrarian reform (agri-agra) sector which includes small farmers who are among the most impoverished nationwide.
Alyansang Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka, Manggagawang Bukid at Mangisngisda (ABA) party list’s target agri-agra agenda includes agrarian reform extension, use of the coco levy funds as well as farmers’ social protection and security, believing these measures are vital in helping promote poverty alleviation and rural development nationwide.
“We must have balanced development,” ABA first nominee and ex-agriculture chief Leonardo Montemayor said at State-run PTV 4′s ‘Hatol ng Bayan’ program for the 2013 mid-term polls.
He noted government must achieve such balance to prevent the countryside from being a perpetual development laggard.
Concentrating development efforts in urban areas will force marginalized agri-agra and other rural folk to migrate and seek greener pastures there, exacerbating problems in those locations, he also said.
National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) data demonstrate urgency for helping the agri-agra sector.
The data show 2009 poverty incidence in the country’s nine basic sectors was highest among farmers (36.7 percent) and fisherfolk (41.4 percent).
Such rates even exceed the 26.5 percent poverty incidence NSCB reported for the entire Philippine population that year.
NSCB data likewise show poverty incidence was highest among farmers and fisherfolk in 2006 and 2003.
For both reference years, NSCB reported corresponding incidence rates of 37.2 percent and 37 percent among farmers as well as 41.4 percent and 35 percent among fisherfolk.
Government enacted RA 6657 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988) to promote social justice as well as sound rural development and industrialization through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
CARP also aims to establish owner-cultivatorship of economic-sized farms as the basis of Philippine agriculture.
In 2009, government enacted RA 9700 extending CARP for five years until 2014.
Montemayor noted such extension aims giving government time to acquire and distribute, to qualified agrarian reform beneficiaries, the country’s estimated one million hectares of remaining CARPable land.
“If ABA wins in the elections, however, we plan filing a bill extending the program for another five years,” he said.
He said such extension is needed since government was able to acquire and distribute only about half of the remaining CARP land RA 9700 targeted for disposal.
“I think there’s not enough time to distribute balance of the CARP land but that should be doable in another five years,” he said.
Last month, reports surfaced work already commenced on drafting the executive order covering mechanics for using the coco levy funds comprising payment government collected from Philippine coconut farmers during the martial law years.
The funds are public money for developing the Philippine coconut industry and benefiting small coconut farmers nationwide.
If elected to Congress, ABA will work on legislating guidelines covering use of such funds.
“About P70 billion in coco levy funds is with government already but it can’t use the money since there are no implementing rules and regulations covering the matter,” Montemayor said.
He noted government must establish the guidelines as soon as possible particularly as about a fifth of the country’s nearly 100 million-strong population depend on the coconut industry for their livelihood.
To further help the agri-agra sector, ABA also wants comprehensive social protection for farmers.
“It’s not enough to give them crop insurance- they themselves must have health insurance as well,” Montemayor said.
Farmers must have social security also to help them especially during their retirement years, he continued.
“Money for the purpose can be sourced from the coco levy funds,” he said.
Montemayor noted such measures to support the sector will help encourage the youth to increasingly go into agriculture.
“Our farmers must be protected or there’ll be none to eventually replace them,” he warned.
He noted 58 years is already the average age of Philippine farmers at present. (Catherine J Teves/Lily O Ramos/Media Ng Bayan)
(HnB): Child welfare is core of group’s target agenda
MANILA, May 9 (PNA) – Akap Bata Sectoral Organization for Children, Inc. (Akap) party list group will pursue children’s welfare-promoting legislation if elected to Congress this year.
Akap first nominee Arlene Brosas said education, shelter and nutrition are among this party list group’s major concerns as these are vital to well-being of children 17 years old and younger who comprise some 42 percent of the country’s population.
“It’s time for children to be represented in Congress so their voices can be heard,” she said at State-run PTV 4′s ‘Hatol ng Bayan’ program for the 2013 mid-term polls.
She pointed out Akap is the sole party list group running in this year’s elections to represent children.
Corporal punishment and child labor are other concerns Akap will pursue in Congress if this group wins in the elections, she continued.
Akap’s hoping for poll victory in 2013 after its 2010 election defeat, noting latest available data show government was able to enact in the past 18 years only nine laws concerning children’s rights and welfare.
“As long as children aren’t represented in Congress, legislators won’t prioritize their needs,” Brosas said.
One proposal Akap continues backing is enactment of the magna carta for day care workers.
Brosas said Akap is supporting such proposal since day care workers are among pillars of children’s development.
“If we don’t help such workers, their level of assistance to children won’t be much,” she noted.
South Cotabato Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr. earlier filed in the 15th Congress HB 00040 granting the magna carta for cay care workers.
HB 00040 aims to enhance the workers’ right to better employment.
The House reported as of May 15 last year, HB 00040′s under study by the technical working group on children.
During the 14th Congress, Sen. Manny Villar also filed SB 2306 to help enhance, protect and improve day care workers’ socio-economic well-being.
Earlier, Akap urged national and local candidates to explain their respective platforms for children.
Akap also challenged the candidates to address the six-point ‘Filipino Children’s Agenda for the 2013 Elections.’
Such agenda covers children’s education, poverty, hunger and malnutrition, decent and secured shelter, exploitation and rights. (Catherine J Teves/Lily O Ramos/Media Ng Bayan)

Political parties may now review PCOS source code

QUEZON CITY, May 9 (PIA) — Finally, political organizations and interested groups can now take a look at the source code for the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.
 
The certified source code, human readible computer instructions that instructs how a PCOS machine operates, is now open for review at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
 
Kept in a black box, Commission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brilliantes and his colleagues turned over the certified source code to BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Gunigundo around noontime Wednesday.
 
This source code, Chairman Brilliantes said, is the same source code reviewed by the SLI Global Solutions.
 
SLI is a third party certification entity tapped by Comelec to certify the source code.
 
This independent certification is the first of two source code reviews required by law.
 
The second was the review by political parties.
 
Although not a pre-requisite for the holding of the elections, Chairman Brilliantes said the review by political parties will boost the credibility of the electoral process.
 
After six months of comprehensive review and finding nothing malicious, SLI translated the certified source code into binary codes.
 
The binary codes, the numerical equivalent of the certified source code which PCOS machines can read, was handed down to Comelec but not the certified source code.
 
Legal dispute between automated election system (AES) provider Smartmatic and software developer Dominion (author of the PCOS source code) in the United States has delayed the release of the certified source code to Comelec.
 
In March 2012, Comelec purchased the AES for the 2013 National and Local Elections from Smartmatic.
The AES included the PCOS machines and its source code that was written by Dominion.
 
But by May of the same year, Smartmatic and Dominion went to US court over licensing disagreements.
SLI, at the time, cannot release the certified source code without the expressed permission of Dominion
“We owe so much both to Dominion and Smartmatic for having entered into this agreement in good faith and the main reason for this is they do not want that the May 13 2013 elections of this country will be tainted with vagueness or lack of credibility,” Chairman Brilliantes said during the opening of the turn-over ceremony this morning.
 
“Not only the third party certification is complied with but even the issue of credibility is necessarilly settled with the presence of the source code and its availability to all political parties that indicated their desire to review this. All in compliance with the law, Republic Act No. 9369 in particular,” Brilliantes said.
Present during the turn-over were representatives from Dominion, SLI Global Solutions and Supreme Court.
 
The SLI representative gave the certified source code in a compact disc to the Dominion representative for authentication.
 
After the authentication, the Dominion representative installed the certified source code on the desktop computer set aside by Comelec for source code review.
 
The desktop was devoid of other applications, except for Windows operating system and the driver of the printer.
 
Dominion then encrypted the source code after its installation.
 
Dominion, SLI and Comelec keyed in three separate passwords as part of the encryption of the source code.
 
Encryption is the conversion of data into a cypher text which cannot be read by unauthorized persons.
A cipher is a secret method of writing.
 
In previous interviews, Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said the review of political parties is not as comprehensive as what SLI did in six months.
 
Jimenez said the review may only take days because political parties are interested in certain parts of the source code. (Lyndon Plantilla/Media ng Bayan)

“Im going to Baguio to shop and to save”

“Im going to Baguio to shop and to save”—this was in my friend’s iPhone calendar. Blocked on her calendar is May 3-5in SM Baguio.

I borrowed my friend’s phone to look at her photos when I happen to glance at her calendar. Curious, I asked her why. And this is what she told me:

“ SM Baguio is having a 3-day Sale with a 3-way Save on May 3,4,5 and I plan to be there on the first hour. We get a 10% off from 10am-12nn on Friday and get a P100 take back per P2,000 single receipt purchase on Saturday and Sunday.

And since I’ll be using my BDO Mastercard, I get 5%discount for P5,000 single purchase receipt.

Hey, I bet you didn’t know that they changed the SM Department Store name to The SM Store already because you are not so updated mafriend…

If you are going to shop for your kids’ back to school stuff, better do it there because of the huge savings and iwas-hassle. What you can save, you can spend on other things..

The_SM_Store_3_day_sale

If you are dying to win an iPad Mini 16gb WI-FI plus cellular with Free Globe prepaid sim card and Powersurf 99, don’t miss this chance. Shop with SMAC, SM Prestige card and BDO Rewards card to avail of exclusive offers like Apple gadgets as prizes for Men’s fashion.

So what are you waiting for, get off the phone and mark the dates. Lets go to SM Baguio for the 3day Sale 3way Save. I’m sure you will thank me for this… “

The_SM_Store_3_day_sale
And this was my friend’s piece. Did it excite me? YES, actually.

Mayor Cruz extols Gov. Espino’s feats

LINGAYEN—In my 53 years of existence, “ngayon lang ako nakakita ng gobernador na hindi lang sa mga TV screens nakikita ang kagandahan ng probinsiya natin dahil pag pumunta kayo sa Kapitolyo, araw man o gabi makikita nyo pa rin ang kagandahan nito,” thus noted Mayor Teddy Cruz of Mangatarem town following the distribution of PhilHealth cards to indigent families in his town last March 22.

Mayor Cruz likewise thanked Gov. Espino for the various assistance received from the provincial government even as he assured full support to the governor in all his endeavors.

Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. distributed more health insurance cards in Mangatarem last March 22 where more than 300 families availed of the program as second batch recipients under the Provincial Sponsored Health Program of  the province.

Mangatarem is among the seven municipalities set to be visited by Gov. Espino during the three-day PhilHealth Card distribution on March 22, 23 and 25.

Aside from Mangatarem town, the three-day activity will benefit another 1, 884 beneficiaries from the towns of Mangaldan, Manaoag, Sta Maria, Tayug, San Quintin and Umingan.

As the governor always reiterates, he said that “the welfare of the people must always come first especially the poor Pangasinenses who are sick.”

The governor said he personally distributes the health card to the people as he wanted them to feel that they are important and that the provincial government cares for them.

The provincial chief executive likewise stressed that he wanted to show what real public service is through the quality public service they provide especially to the less fortunate Pangasinenses.

Earlier this month, Gov. Espino has distributed more than 2,000 health cards to beneficiaries from Bugallon, Bani, Dasol, Infanta, Agno, Mabini and Alaminos City.

As this developed, he called on the everyone to inform those who have not yet availed of the program as he had frequently mentioned that it is his dream that the poor head of the family in Pangasinan will no longer fear of getting sick and is now fully confident of getting the best and adequate medical care in the government hospitals which the provincial government rehabilitated during the first years of his assumption to the provincial leadership.

The governor said the Espino administration has focused on helping the poor as its topmost priority, next is providing quality service and doing their jobs well as public servants as a legacy to the youth for the future of their children and their children’s children.  (PIO/Angeline D. Villanueva)