Tag Archives: Philippines

LENI ROBREDO WITHDRAWS CANDIDACY AS LIBERAL PARTY VP CANDIDATE!

December 6, 2015 Pol Pinoy 6 Comments

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – If there is a poster lady for the Aquino administration’s mantra of daang matuwid (straight path), it is none other than Congresswoman Leni Robredo, who is the Liberal Party’s vice presidential candidate. She is law-abiding, lives a life of simplicity, and has no qualms about criticizing the adminsitration or her party for failed policies or programs, as well as missteps.

So it is not surprising that today, she withdrew her candidacy as LP presidential candidate Mar Roxas’ running mate.

The reason? Roxas just violated the law.

Rules of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) prohibit candidates from early campaigning. For the 2016 presidential elections, the campaign period set by the elections body is February 9 to May 7.

Roxas’ campaign, however, has just released a music video featuring celebrities and sports personalities which is obviously a campaign material in violation of the law.

While Robredo participated and appeared in the video, she told The Adobo Chronicles that she had no idea that the campaign material would be released this early. She thought it was recorded for release on or after February 9.

Well, the video has gone viral but has also become exhibit A, in an elections violation case that could be filed against Roxas and the Liberal Party.

Robredo wants no part of the illegal activity, so she decideed to withdraw her VP candidacy.

Good for her.

Government, Politics

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.