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Comelec told: Do the math “Do your math, be fair and don’t abuse your authority to favor the administration candidate.” This was the strong message of Ang Grasya ng Masang Pilipino Movement led by Adonis Samson, Rosendo So and former Dagupan City Councilor Luis Samson Jr. to the Commission of elections following the decision made by the Comelec’s 2nd Division to disqualify Senator Grace Poe from the presidential race. “The Comelec decision by the 2nd Division repeats the same
flaws in the dissenting opinions of the SC Justices,” Samson said adding that “It also misses the very essence of reacquisition of Philippine citizenship under the law when it starts to count the residency only on the date of the approval of the petition for reacquisition and not on the date of actual residency in the Philippines.” “It was unfortunate that the Second Division ridiculously
concluded that Grace Poe lacks two months to complete the residency requirement since she returned here in 2005 and enrolled her children to Philippine school,” So said. he also chided the Comelec for giving emphasis on the Senator’s Certificate of Candidacy in the May 2013 elections after it had already been superseded and corrected by her CoC for the president. In its verdict, the three Comelec commissioners considered her to be short of six months to complete the 10 year minimum period.
“Arithmetic seems to be the order of the day rather than the legislative intent of RA No 9225,” said Samson. he lamented that from the time Poe spurned the administration’s offer to be the vice president of Mar Roxas, all these questions on her citizenship and residency suddenly surged on social and traditional media. “The same forces behind the massive cheating of Fernando Poe Jr. in 2004 are at it again, robbing the people of their fundamental right to elect the president they
want by excluding Grace Poe, his daughter, from the presidential race,” noted the three Pangasinan leaders. They also lauded the latest Senate electoral Tribunal decision that affirmed Poe both as a natural born Filipino and eligible to run for president. AGMPM is the same group that insured the victory of FPJ in the vote rich province of Pangasinan in the 2004 presidential elections. It is allied with other volunteer groups for the Grace-Chiz tandem with chapters in key cities nationwide and overseas.
Pep talk. Yedda Romualdez representing her husband senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez delivers an inspirational message during the Christmas party of more than 100 barangay leaders of the 3rd District of Manila led by congresswoman Naida Angping (2nd left, right panel) and congressional candidate Harry Angping. VER NOVENO
Old P bills good only until 2015 The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Monday reminded the public, that the old banknotes can only be used at the end of the year. At a news briefing in the house of Representatives, Maja Gracia Malik, deputy director of the BSP, said a total of 432,000 pieces of money in different denominations are “in the loose,” amounting to about P67 billion. Malik said those holding old banknotes could register with the BSP, starting October 2016 to December 2016 so that the banks can reserve money for replacement. The BSP put a limit of P10,000 per OFWs, she said. Malik said some security and new features of the new generation currency had already been launched back in 2010. “Demonitized currency will no longer be accepted to pay for goods and services,”Malik said. Starting January 2016, Malik said those with old banknotes can go to the bank to exchange their money for new ones. By 2017, all the old notes will be demonetized, Malik pointed out. Maricel Cruz
‘Laude family lacks basis to block marine’s detention’ By Rey E. Requejo and Maricel Cruz A FORMeR Justice official on Monday said the family of slain transgender woman Jeffrey Laude cannot question the arrangement for the detention of US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton who was convicted of homicide last week. Former Justice Undersecretary Jose Justiniano stressed that the Laude family has no legal standing to contest the detention of Pemberton inside the Armed Forces headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. It should be the prosecutors of the Department of Justice who should take the issue to the Supreme Court, Justiniano said. “If ever this matter is brought to the SC, it should be the DoJ through the Office of the Solicitor General and not the private lawyer,” Justiniano said in an interview.
Justiniano, who was part of the defense team of Lance Corporal Daniel Smith `in the 2005 Subic rape case, stressed that the interest of the Laude family should be limited to the civil aspect of the case. “When you file the complaint, your interest is civil in nature since a criminal case is the interest of the State. This is why the private prosecutor is always under the jurisdiction of the public prosecutor,” he explained. The former Justice official said it would be difficult for the Laude camp and their private lawyers to justify their challenge to the detention of Pemberton in court. Justiniano made the statements after the Laude family and their lawyers led by harry Roque Jr. expressed intention to assail Pemberton’s continued detention in Camp Aguinaldo before the Supreme Court. The issue on detention of Pemberton after promulgation of his
conviction last Dec. 1 arose after the Olongapo Regional Trial Court, Branch 74, ordered his transfer to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City pending agreement between the US and Philippine governments on his detention facility as provided under the Visiting Forces Agreement between the two countries. But the DoJ said that Pemberton would remain in detention in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City despite the conviction. VFA officials also informed the RTC that there was an agreement between the two governments to have Pemberton temporarily detained at AFP custodial center in Camp Aguinaldo under the watch of Bureau of Corrections personnel pending completion of the judicial process, including appeal of his conviction. This prompted Judge Roline Jinez–Jabalde to issue another order Tuesday evening committing the American serviceman to the Camp
Aguinaldo facility. Meanwhile, the Makabayan Bloc in the house of Representatives issued a resolution denouncing the blatant disregard of Philippine sovereignty by the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement as shown in the aftermath of convictions involving American mil-
itary service personnel. In house Resolution 2550, the seven members of the bloc called for the immediate abrogation of the VFA and cited Article II Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution which provides that “(t)he State shall pursue an independent foreign policy.
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCEMENT President Benigno S. Aquino III has submitted to the Commission on Appointments (C.A.) for confirmation the ad interim appointments of the following ranking officers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines: Guillermo A. Molina, Jr., Rodolfo D. Santiago, Andre M. Costales and Elmer S. Pabale – Major General; Rafael A. Sera Jose, Raul M. Farnacio, Arleen N. Gorreon, Maximo J. Ballesteros, Demy T. Tejares, Romeo N. Dela Cruz, Archimedes H. Viaje, Alvin A. Parreno and Alvin Francis A. Javier – Brigadier General; Jande S. Francisco, Robert A. Empedrad, Gaudencio C. Collado, Jr. and Rene V. Medina – Commodore; Victor D. Tanggawohn, Jr., PA, Eduardo B. Gubat, PA, William P. Peñafiel, Jr., PA, Cornelio T. Arboleda, PA, Edgar I. Yerro, PA (Reserve), Angel I. Madarang, PA, Ferdinand T. Barandon, PA, Faisal A. Nawang, PA (Reserve), Rogelio P. Percol, PA, Noe Alberto Q. Peñafiel, PA, Anthony T. Cacayuran, PA, Potenciano C. Camba, Juan S. Jancilan, PA (Reserve), Noel J. Detoyato, PA, Leandro V. Abeleda III, PA and Vincent B. Iringan – Colonel; Fernando V. Naval, PN Captain The public may submit any information, written report or sworn complaints or oppositions in forty (40) copies on the above appointments to the CA Secretariat, 6th Floor, PNB Financial Center, Diosdado Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City, Metro Manila. For the schedule of the public hearings, the CA Secretariat can be reached through telephone numbers 551-7532, 831-0893, 831-1824, 834-2706, 831-1566 and 834-2713. 07 December 2015. (TS-DEC. 8, 2015)
ARTURO L. TIU Secretary