Tag Archives: 2016 Elections

PHILIPPINES’ ELECTIONS COMMISSION (COMELEC) RULES TO DISQUALIFY ALL FIVE MAJOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

December 6, 2015 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

L-R: Duterte, Poe, Binay, Roxas, Santiago

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – In a move that’s unprecedented in the history of Philippine politics, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has ruled to disqualify all five major candidates for president from running in the 2016 elections. For various reasons.

Polls frontrunner Senator Grace Poe has been disqualified on the grounds that she is not a natural-born Filipino citizen as required by the Constitution. She also appeared to lack the residency requirement even if she were a natural-born citizen. She was a dual citizen (U.S. and Philippines) at some point.

Vice President Jejomar Binay has been barred because of pending corruption charges against him while he was mayor of Makati City.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was disqualified on technicality. He filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) after the deadline set by the elections body. His argument for being a substitute candidate didn’t convince the commissioners because the candidate he was substituting for had previously withdrawn his candidacy.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago was named a “nuisance candidate” by COMELEC because of her cancer diagnosis. “How can she fulfill the duties of president if she has terminal cancer,” the commissioners said. Santiago, however, asserts that she has had a remission from her cancer, and the COMELEC ruling angered health and disability advocates.

As for former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas (the anointed candidate of the Aquino administration), his disqualification was based on violation of rules on early campaigning. Roxas just released a music video which was obviously a campaign material to promote his candidacy and that of his vice presidential running mate Congresswoman Leni Robredo.

So where does the 2016 Philippine presidential elections stand?

Back to square one. COMELEC will soon announce deadlines for new candidacy filing for president.

Politics

PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DUTERTE’S CHILDREN: ‘OUR DAD IS NO PRINCESS DIANA’

December 2, 2015 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Two of presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s children have issued a public apology over their father’s “street thug” personality but stressed that he was very capable of leading the country.

“I apologize for his behavior,” his daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio wrote on Instagram on Tuesday, adding that her dad “does not have the finesse of Lady Diana.”

Her brother, Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte also apologized, saying his father does not behave like royals do.

Duterte drew the ire of netizens after he cursed Pope Francis on national television, blaming the pontiff for his being stuck in traffic while in Manila.

Both Sara and Paolo however promised that if their dad becomes president of the Philippines, they will do all they can to train him on good manners and right conduct, social etiquette, international diplomacy and royal protocol, realizing that as president, he would have to hobnob with the likes of Queen Elizabeth as well as presidents and prime ministers of other countries. Not to mention Pope Francis.

Media, Politics

PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MAR ROXAS: TRUE CHAMPION OF THE MASSES

December 2, 2015 Pol Pinoy 8 Comments

roxas MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Senator Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte may be getting all the media attention as the 2016 Philippine presidential elections heat up, but among all the declared candidates, one person stands out as the true champion of the masses

That would be former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the anointed successor of President NoyNoy Aquino.

Without much fanfare, Roxas has intentionally avoided the paparazzi, making his rounds of cities and rural communities, feeling the pulse of the masses, and actually living the life of the masses.

During the aftermath of the worst typhoon to hit the Philippines, Roxas was seen in ground zero overseeing relief operations and giving aid to residents except those who were loyal to his and President Aquino’s political nemesis, the Romualdezes. When there was a shortage of garlic in the Philippines, he was seen carrying a sack of garlic on his shoulder. When there was rumor about a rice shortage, he was seen carrying a sack of government rice on his shoulder. When Metro Manila experienced the worst traffic nightmare ever, he was seen directing traffic in one of Manila’s most congested street intersections. When Metro Manila’s light railway system (MRT) was the subject of intense criticism for its overcrowding, inefficiency and mismanagement, Roxas was seen riding the train on non-commute hours.

Roxas’ latest display of his empathy for the Filipino masses happened during a recent visit to a rural community in an undisclosed province in Luzon.

While TV cameras and press photographers were not allowed to record Roxas’ rendezvous with the masses, his campaign released a photo of him eating rice out of a coffee cup and drinking water from a plate. Just like the masses do. Or so he thinks.

What more can you ask of a candidate who wants to continue the current administration’s daang matuwid (straight path)?