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Senate supermajority looms By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta
A
N ADMINISTRATION supermajority looms in the Senate with 11 candidates endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte poised to win in Monday’s midterm elections. This gives the ruling coalition of Duterte, halfway into his six-year term, a full 19 sitting senators. According to partial and unofficial count from Comelec’s transparency server
VOL. XXXIII • NO. 90 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
as of 7:20 p.m. Tuesday, Senators Cynthia Villar and Grace Poe continue to lead the senatorial race in the May 13 elections after 95.02 percent of total election returns Next page had been processed.
Rody big winner in Monday’s polls
#2019PHVOTE: SENATORIAL RACE 1 VILLAR (NP) 24,497,560
6 ANGARA (LDP) 17,612,084
11 PIMENTEL (PDPLBN) 14,149,497
2 POE (IND) 21,415,299
7 LAPID (NPC) 16,468,345
12 BINAY (UNA) 14,123,874
3 GO (PDPLBN) 19,864,849
8 MARCOS (NP) 15,370,053
13 EJERCITO (NPC) 13,876,548
4 CAYETANO (NP) 19,147,818
9 TOLENTINO (PDPLBN) 14,951,045
14 AQUINO (LP) 13,764,593
5 DELA ROSA (PDPLBN) 18,255,363
10 REVILLA (LAKAS) 14,161,021
15 ESTRADA (PMP) 11,026,189
By Nat Mariano PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s allies were poised for victory in midterm polls, unofficial results showed Tuesday, signalling firm approval of his rule and clearing a path for his most controversial plans. Duterte’s deadly crackdown on narcotics has drawn international censure, but is central to the populist appeal that has buoyed his remarkable popularity among Filipinos since taking the presidency in 2016. In Monday’s vote, administration loyalist candidates for the Senate were headed for a resounding election win, according to data released by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, a Catholic-run poll monitor accredited by the government to tally votes. With 94 percent of ballots counted early Tuesday, Duterte allies were on track to take nine of 12 open seats in the upper house, which has been a bulwark against some of the President’s most controversial proposals. Official, complete results from the nation’s elections commission are expected in the coming days. Historically, the nation’s 24 senators—who serve six-year terms—have Next page
Poll machines malfunction: Koko seeks probe
Metro Manila Mayoralty Results Caloocan
Malabon
Malapitan, Oca
By Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo
Las Piñas
SENATOR Aquilino Pimentel III on Tuesday called for a congressional inquiry into reported vote counting machine glitches that caused delays during Monday’s midterm polls. Pimentel, chairman of the Senate committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation, questioned the Commission on Elections for lacking the foresight to anticipate the widespread malfunctioning of VCMs in different areas of the country. “Glitches are enough to call for a congressional investigation. Why are we still having theses glitches? Can’t COMELEC anticipate them?” Pimentel told reporters in a text message. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said it was time for the country to stop tapping Smartmatic for the elections.
Binay, Abby
423,072 Oreta, Lenlen
Manila
Aguilar, Imelda
170,972 Domagoso, Isko
Makati
Navotas
179,522 Tiangco, Toby
Mandaluyong Abalos, Menchie
Marikina
Teodoro, Marcy
Pasay
128,661 Calixto-Rubiano, Emi 157,576
Muntinlupa
Fresnedi, Jaime
164,144
Parañaque
Olivarez, Edwin
Pasig
Pateros
Ponce, Ike
Quezon City Belmonte, Joy
San Juan
169,224 Zamora, Francis
Taguig
Sotto, Vico
208,548 Cayetano, Lino
Valenzuela
Gatchalian, Rex
248,911
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99,885 357,925 78,778 121,391 18,370 469,480 35,060 174,558
GLITCHES DESPITE. The Commission on Elections national and local canvassing board starts Tuesday its canvassing for the 2019 midterm elections at the seaside Philippine International Convention Center. Officials admitted that several glitches were experienced throughout election day and during the transmission of election results to the transparency server, but said the recent elections underscored the gains demonstrated by the automated election system in the country. Ey Acasio
Giant killers: Youngblood reign while some dynasties fall
Moon shrinking, shows wrinkles
By Jimbo Gulle and Rio N. Araja VOTERS in Manila who booted Mayor Joseph Estrada out of office Monday highlighted a trend among some cities to vote out political clans that have had a stranglehold over local politics stretching across generations. In Cebu, Mayor Tommy Osmeña suffered the same fate, as did Roberto Eusebio of Pasig, and other members of political dynasties. Residents of the capital and areas across the country woke up Tuesday to new, and younger, mayors and elective officials who broke through the bailiwicks of the families that have ruled their towns and cities unchallenged for decades. With their grip on local politics, the patriarchs of these clans were able to pass on positions to their children and grandchildren as if they were inherited. While many other clans survived the midterm elections, Estrada’s defeat in Manila to his one-time vice mayor, MORENO
BELMONTE
SOTTO
ZAMORA
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WASHINGTON—The Moon is steadily shrinking, causing wrinkling on its surface and quakes, according to an analysis of imagery captured by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) published Monday. A survey of more than 12,000 images revealed that lunar basin Mare Frigoris near the Moon’s north pole— one of many vast basins long assumed Next page