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Proclamations set today

By Gillian M. Cortez, Reporter

WITH ONLY over a million votes left to canvass as of this reporting, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) scheduled today the proclamation of winners in the senatorial and party-list elections.

Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez said the proclamation will most likely follow after the certificates of canvass (CoCs) from the province of Isabela are tallied by the National Board of Canvassers (NBoC). Winners in the party-list race will be proclaimed in the morning and winners in the senatorial race, in the afternoon.

“With 1,050,681 votes from Isabela province expected tonight, I think it’s a pretty sure bet that we’re going to have a proclamation tomorrow,” Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez told reporters in a press conference on Monday.

The municipality of Jones, Isabela, held a special election on Monday, following reports that armed men had burned vote-counting machines (VCMs) there. Additional VCMs had been sent to Jones, Mr. Jimenez said.

Besides the more than 1 million votes in Jones, also to be canvassed as of this reporting are 633,357 overseas votes from Japan, Saudi Arabia, the Nigerian capital of Abuja and the United States capital of Washington, D.C.

The top 12 in the senatorial race, as of NBoC’s partial, official results on May 19, are as follows: 1. Cynthia A. Villar — 24,757,642; 2. Grace Poe-Llamanzares — 21,563,558; 3. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go — 20,223,738; 4. Pilar Juliana “Pia” S. Cayetano — 19,390,096; 5. Ronald “Bato” M. Dela Rosa — 18,639,583; 6. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara — 17,786,740; 7. Manuel “Lito” Lapid – 16,587,742; 8. Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos — 15,362,702; 9. Francis N. Tolentino — 15,196,397; 10. Aquilino Martin “Koko” D. Pimentel III — 14,395,597; 11. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. — 14,279,625; and 12. Maria Lourdes “Nancy” S. Binay — 14,065,071.

When asked if President Rodrigo R. Duterte will attend the afternoon proclamation, Mr. Jimenez said, “Because he did come to (Mr. Go’s) filing of CoC (certificate of candidacy), that is something we are preparing for as well….We are not just preparing (for) arrivals, security-wise but we are also preparing a space for him and his entourage for the floor tomorrow.”

COMELEC CAN EXPLAIN GLITCH
Also on Monday, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) affirmed the “bottleneck” in the transfer of election results that the Commission on Elections is in the “best position” to explain, the election watchdog said.

PPCRV Chairperson Myla C. Villanueva said they looked into the “File Transfer Manager” which transmitted the data from the transparency server to the tally boards in media institutions and the PPCRV. “We did observe that there was there bottleneck. We did observe, in our local way of saying things, nabubulunan (things got muddled),” she told reporters.

“It started but it did not complete. That obviously is the cause of the problem,” she said. “(I) think we have to ask the Comelec (Commission on Elections) to continue to explain to our public why it happened because they own the server….They are in the best position to open up all the details at that given point.” The initial results were first sent to PPCRV and media at around 6:00 p.m. on May 13 but did not change until 1:00 a.m. — with Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Analysts: Death penalty revival to bear on 2022 election chances

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter

THE revival of capital punishment being pushed in the Duterte administration will have some bearing on the 2022 elections, analysts sought for comment said.

In a press conference last Thursday, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said passing the death penalty bill, which is pending in the Senate, is a “possibility” in the 18th Congress given that there are more pro-death penalty senatorial candidates in the midterm elections who are poised to win.

Sought for comment, University of Santo Tomas political science professor Marlon M. Villarin said in a phone message on Saturday: “In less than three years, the 2022 presidential election is coming, and to push this kind of infamous legislation is a kiss of death for those who are planning to run both for reelection and higher positions. The revival of (the) death penalty may sound promising but I think those ambitious members of Congress will practically choose the proactive and more socially sound approach.”

Also sought for comment, Ateneo Policy Center senior research fellow Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco said via e-mail on Sunday: “I expect many lawmakers will just sit on such bills rather than risk the ire of the public. After all, in their minds, all they need to do is simply survive the next three years because 2022, being a presidential election year, will be a new political battle altogether.”

For his part, sociology professor Louie C. Montemar of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines said via chat on Saturday: “If the new Congress prioritizes this in its agenda, we may see the lines drawn in the recent elections between the Duterte Administration in one side and the Catholic Church and human rights advocates in another redrawn and even more solidly.”

He also said that it would be “a more difficult fight for human rights group notwithstanding potential support from the international community.”

‘RIGHT NUMBER’
Mr. Villarin noted that President Rodrigo R. Duterte has the “right number” to push for the restoration of the death penalty, but the country is not “socially and legally” ready for it.

“Our institutions manifest unreadiness for its revival. Socially, what we need is a proactive or preventive approach that will address criminality like accessible social services, livelihood opportunities, responsible parenting, active citizen engagement in community peace and order,” he added.

He said the country’s justice system has to be “reexamined” first, noting that there has been “corruption in the judiciary which made (the) death penalty law…anti poor.”

Mr. Villarin said further that “there is no reliable data that the death penalty law in our country deters crime more effectively than imprisonment.”

For Mr. Montemar, the new Congress can “easily” push the death penalty agenda given the “support from the public” and President’s “high popularity.”

“Let us be reminded that Pulse Asia’s Ulat ng Bayan Survey held from March 15 to 20, 2017, showed that Filipinos’ support for the reimposition of the death penalty on heinous crimes may have dropped by 14 percentage points — from 81% in July 2016 to 67% in March 2017. But still, there is still a clear public majority that can prop up such an agenda,” he said.

For his part, Mr. Yusingco said it is “still hard” to know the general public’s view of the death penalty as the high trust rating of Mr. Duterte “is not a proper gauge of the current public sentiment about this matter.”

“I believe the best way to determine what Filipinos think about bringing back the death penalty is to ask them directly. This can be done by calling for a special session of the Barangay Assembly to facilitate debate on this issue at the community level,” he added.

Mr. Yusingco said further a nationwide tally of all the results would be an “accurate demonstration of the peoples’ will” on the issue.

“As of the moment, there is no acceptable barometer of public sentiment on this issue except the Barangay Assembly process. Surveys will simply be not enough given the gravity of the question. Moreover, it is imperative that Filipinos undergo a deliberation process prior to making a stand on this issue. If the administration decides to pursue the reimposition of the death penalty without the clear mandate of the people, they will encounter strong opposition in Congress. It is very possible that civil society, led by religious groups, will literally storm the halls of the Senate and the House of Representatives to protest bills reinstating the death penalty.”

HUMAN RIGHTS
Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Commissioner Karen S. Gomez-Dumpit said in a phone message on Sunday that the agency “is ready to engage Congress in a frank and factual conversation” on the matter.

“We are ready to present the ineffectiveness of the death penalty and offer viable programs that result in crime prevention and lowering crime incidence. These include police visibility or increasing police to population ratios and community vigilance. We fully support these initiatives that do not diminish our principles to uphold the right to life,” Ms. Gomez-Dumpit added.

She also said that the CHR has to “ensure that our legal obligations as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Second Optional Protocol aiming at the Abolition of the Death Penalty are respected and fulfilled. As a state party to these human rights treaties, we have perpetually committed not to impose nor reintroduce capital punishment.”

“The Commission does not want crime to go unpunished. However, the apprehension, prosecution, conviction and punishment of those who have committed wrong doings must be in accordance with human rights standards and principles,” she said further.

House approves ROTC bill

By Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

THE House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading a bill reviving the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) for senior high school students.

House Bill 8961 is a consolidated version based on the bill authored and filed by Batangas 2nd District Rep. Raneo E. Abu.

The chamber approved the bill with 167 affirmative votes, four negative votes, and zero abstention.

In the proposed Reserve Officers Training Corps Act, students in grades 11 and 12, in both public and private schools, are required to undergo the said training.

The ROTC program includes lesson in patriotism, basic military training, and civic training.

Students who fail to undergo ROTC shall not be qualified for graduation.

Exempted, however, are students who are physically and psychologically unfit, as well as varsity players.

The proposed law also states that students who have undergone basic ROTC class are to be considered first-level civil-service eligible. Those who have undergone the optional advanced class shall be deemed second-level civil-service eligible.

Graduates of the basic ROTC class are also eligible for lateral entry and enlistment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Coast Guard, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Bureau of Fire Protection.

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah I. Elego, one of four lawmakers who voted against the bill, said in a statement: “These policies, if enacted, would only legitimize the systemic attacks the state has undertaken against those critical of its administration. Numerous campaigns led by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police were launched to create false hysteria within universities by resorting to the red-tagging of nationalist and progressive groups falsely accused as recruiters and members of the New Peoples’ Army.”

Tugade ready to take on emergency powers to solve traffic if given by incoming Congress

By Denise A. Valdez, Reporter

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY Arthur P. Tugade yesterday said he and his department are ready to accept emergency powers to solve the traffic congestion in the capital if members of the incoming 18th Congress will push for such a measure.

If passed, Mr. Tugade said he will “pursue (it) in a manner that will not distract me from the primary projects (of the Department of Transportation).”

He added, “We leave it to them. As far as we are concerned, we think we have submitted all the documents,” referring to previously submitted documents to the Senate when the proposal was being evaluated.

Mr. Tugade’s comments came after Senator-elect Francis N. Tolentino, a former chair of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, said in a radio interview over the weekend that he will revive the proposal to grant emergency powers to solve the worsening traffic in the metro.

Asked for clarification on Monday, Mr. Tolentino said in a phone call that he doesn’t want to comment further until he speaks with Mr. Tugade himself.

“Mag-uusap pa kami ni Sec. Tugade, hayaan mo munang mag-usap kami. After the proclamation (Mr. Tugade and I will talk, let us finish talking first. We’ll talk after the proclamation (of the new senators),” he told BusinessWorld.

Mr. Tolentino was endorsed by the President in his Senate bid.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte and the DoTr have long sought for emergency powers to resolve congestion in urban areas of the country, starting with the proposed “Traffic and Congestion Crisis Act of 2016.”

It was supposed to grant emergency powers to the President for up to three years with a list of P1.2-trillion worth of land, air and sea projects that were expected to help in solving traffic problems.

The proposal was not passed in the Senate as Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares, who chairs the committee on public services, argued that granting emergency powers “would not be an instant solution, especially if it is not implemented well.”

Last November, the House of Representatives approved on second reading House Bill No. 6425, or the “Traffic Crisis Act of 2017. Makiisa. Makisama. Magkaisa.”

It will designate the DoTr secretary as “Traffic Chief” for the period of the law and have “full power and authority… to streamline the management of traffic and transportation and to control road use in the identified metropolitan areas.”

Mr. Tugade said if the proposed measure was approved early on, progress would have been seen in the state of the country’s road traffic by now.

“Kailangan lang naman namin two to three years eh. Dapat kung binigay nila ‘yun, umusad na ‘yan. Wala, iniisip nila corrupt lahat ng tao eh. Iniisip nila kagaya nila kami (We only need two to three years. If they gave it, the traffic could have moved forward. But no, they think everyone is corrupt. They think we are like them),” he said.

“Bahala na sila du’n. Ang feeling namin na-submit na namin lahat ng papeles (We leave it to them. The DoTr has submitted all necessary documents),” he added.

The 18th Congress will convene in July.

Duterte was ‘upbeat’ over the weekend, says spokesperson

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte was “upbeat” during the weekend based on the “sound of his voice,” his spokesperson said on Monday amid speculations over his health condition. In a press briefing at the Palace on Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said Mr. Duterte did not take the rumors that he was hospitalized over the weekend as a “serious matter.” When asked about the condition of the President, who has not appeared in public since the May 13 elections, he said, “Ang Presidente ‘pag ‘di n’yo nakikita, nagtratrabaho ‘yun (When you don’t see the President, he’s working). Ang ‘di n’ya paglabas sa publiko, ay ‘di connected sa (His non-appearance in public is not connected with his) health.” Whether Mr. Duterte was indeed hospitalized, he reiterated that the President “neither denied nor confirmed it.” “You can draw your own conclusions,” he added. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Snapshots: Brigada Eskwela 2019

NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION: QUEZON CITY

PHILSTAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

Children tag along and help parents clean classrooms at the President Corazon Aquino Elementary School in Batasan, Quezon city on May 20, the first day of the weeklong Brigada Eskwela, an annual multi-sectoral activity intended to prepare public schools for the new school year’s opening in June.

WESTERN VISAYAS: PAVIA, ILOILO

PAVIA MPS

Officers of the Pavia Municipal Police Station help repair broken chairs at the Pavia National High School. Members of the Philippine National Police around the country are regular participants in the Brigada Eskwela, which is envisioned as a communal activity with representatives from all sectors sending out volunteers.

DAVAO: STA. CRUZ, DAVAO DEL SUR

BW/LSDAVALJR.

A family works together in the outdoor area of the Federico Yap National High School in Cruz, Davao Del Sur on Monday. School authorities around town said the volunteer turnout on Monday was low, but they expect more people to help with the cleaning activities in the coming days. “Brigada (Eskwela) is not compulsory, but the school wants to see whose parents are helpful,” Enrique n. Amaro, principal of Daromg Elementary School said. — Maya M. Padillo

MMDA eyes P2P buses from provincial bus hubs

THE METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) admitted yesterday that there were no public consultations held before implementing the dry run on the provincial bus ban along EDSA. The dry run was stopped after two weeks. However, MMDA EDSA Special Traffic and Transport Zone chief Edison Nebrija said they are not altogether scrapping the plan. “What we are trying to eliminate dito (here) are the bus terminals….There are 47 provincial bus terminals along the main artery of the metropolis….We believe that the terminals are magnets for other activities that create the congestion on EDSA,” said Mr. Nebrija during the committee hearing on transportation at the House of Representatives on Monday, May 20. He added that MMDA is eyeing solutions such as the deployment of point-to-point buses (P2P) to serve passengers from the designated hubs in Sta. Rosa Laguna, Valenzuela City, and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Road in Manila renamed to honor late sportsman and politician Mel Lopez

A ROAD in Manila has been renamed to Mel Lopez Boulevard in honor of the accomplishments, contributions, and “exceptional” public service of Gemiliano “Mel” C. Lopez, Jr. as a sportsman, public servant, and socio-civic leader, especially to the people of Manila. President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed on April 12 the law, Republic Act No. 11280, that changes the name of the portion of Radial Road 10 traversing Bonifacio Drive at Anda Circle up to Marala Bridge at the foot of Estero de Marala. The law was authored by Reps. Jose Atienza Jr. (Party-list, BUHAY) and Raul Daza (1st District, Northern Samar), according to a statement from the Press and Public Affairs Bureau of the House of Representatives released on May 18. “He (Mr. lopez) served our nation proudly and well as a city councilor, as acting vice mayor, as an assemblyman in the regular Batasan Pambansa, as mayor of the City of Manila, as Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission, and at his demise on January 2017, as Chairman and CEO of the Philippine National Oil Company — Exploration Corporation,” Mr. Daza was quoted as saying. For his part, Mr. Atienza said: “His service to the country — particularly to the people of the City of Manila — is an important reminder to those in public service today that self-interest simply has no room both in the elective and civil service.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

Cebu City underpass to open in June for private vehicles

THE UNDERPASS project along Natalio Bacalso Avenue, which is seen to ease road congestion in the southern part of Cebu City, will open by June for private vehicles while authorities discuss possible new traffic schemes in the area. Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) Operations Chief Francisco Ouano told The Freeman that last week’s temporary two-day opening of the underpass showed improved traffic flow. Mr. Ouano said they will coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways regional office for a possible new traffic scheme in the south district, including whether to allow buses and mini buses to utilize the underpass. These public utility vehicles currently use the Cebu South Coastal Road. Public utility jeepneys, as planned, will utilize the northbound and southbound side roads. Mr. Ouano said they will hold a dry run to observe traffic flow before the official opening.

DoE says gov’t takeover will be last resort in Iloilo City’s power distribution issue

ILOILO CITY — Department of Energy (DoE) Undersecretary Felix B. Fuentebella has assured residents here that they are monitoring the power distribution tug-of-war between two companies and that the government will be ready to step in should the situation lead to a breakdown in supply delivery.

“Government takeover is always the last resort. Makikialam ang gobyerno (The government will step in) under the Constitution in public utilities, but this is only subject to the condition of there is really no power supply,” Mr. Fuentebella said last May 18, when he was in town as guest speaker of the 43rd Regional Alumni Institute of the University of the Philippines.

For now, he said, the transitory provision of Republic Act (RA) 11212 must be followed.

RA 11212 grants MORE Electric and Power Co. (MORE Power) the franchise to distribute supply in Iloilo City, but the company has yet to secure a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) amid a protracted legal battle with longtime distributor Panay Electric Co. (PECO).

PECO’s CPCN, meanwhile, will expire by May 25, and its congressional franchise already expired last Jan 19.

A CPCN serves as the permit to start operations for a utility.

“Once this issue will heighten, there’s a transitory provision in the franchise law… Under the law, we (DoE) only have the supervisory (power) so we cannot meddle unless we see a violation on the player,” Mr. Fuentebella said.

Based on the transitory provision, PECO may be authorized to operate for two more years until MORE Power has established its own power distribution system.

Mr. Fuentebella also emphasized that they cannot intervene since there are pending court cases, but he stressed that the primary thrust of DOE is to safeguard consumers.

“There’s a court case going on so we’re just waiting for all this because we cannot really intervene as far as this hearing is concerned. At the end of the day, the DoE is always on the consumer side because we want a smooth transition and we want uninterrupted services,” he said.

In an earlier interview, PECO Vice President for Operations and General Manager Randy S. Pastolero said they will heed the DoE until the franchise issue is resolved.

He also assured that the company will continue operating even after the expiration of its CPCN, unless there is a specific instruction from authority.

“Definitely, we will not stop our operation just because our CPCN already expired because we already agreed with the DoE and even our power suppliers that the delivery of power services to our consumers would be paramount,” he said.

Last March 11, MORE Power filed an expropriation case before the Iloilo Regional Trial Court in a bid to acquire PECO’s assets.

PECO struck back by seeking an injunction and temporary restraining order (TRO) against MORE Power, which was granted for 20 days by the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court Branch 209 on March 13.

MORE Power, however, secured on March 28 a 60-day TRO from the Court of Appeals preventing the Mandaluyong City RTC from enforcing its TRO.

Meanwhile, MORE Power continues to prepare for a possible takeover of the power distribution services in the city.

Last May 15, MORE Power signed a one-year interim power supply agreement with KEPCO SPC Power Corporation (KSPC) for 5 megawatts (MW) and an option for another 5 MW. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

P15B in social services so far spent by government in Marawi

TASK FORCE Bangon Marawi Chairperson and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Secretary Eduardo D. del Rosario on Monday said the government has already spent at least P15 billion for social services in war-torn Marawi City. “With regards to the government side, we have already spent about P15 billion since the start of the siege,” Mr. del Rosario said in the third episode of the Presidential Communications Office-Global Media Affairs’ “The Virtual Presser.” The government has also accounted P6.5 billion in humanitarian assistance provided by the country’s development partners, which were given directly to non-government organizations and agencies “to implement their projects on the ground.” When asked what the task force is currently doing to speed up the rehabilitation of the city’s most affected area, he said: “The 24 projects that will be implemented in the most affected area are now given to the respected departments who are relevant to those particular projects.” He added that those departments are now conducting a pre-procurement process, which will have to pass through the Office of the Civil Defence, then the Office of the President for approval before public bidding. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Fuel prices higher again this week

AFTER THE past two weeks of decline, gasoline prices this week will rise by P0.90 per liter (/L), while the prices of diesel products will increase by P0.80/L, the same amount that was cut two weeks ago. Kerosene will cost higher by P0.75/L this week, oil companies said in their advisories as of late afternoon on Monday. For most of them, the price adjustment will take place at 6:00 a.m. today, May 21. Last week, the per liter prices of gasoline and kerosene were slashed by P1.25 and P0.30, respectively. Diesel prices were unchanged during that period. The price adjustment reflects the movement of prices in the international market, the oil companies said. — Victor V. Saulon

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