Archive - Top Stories

By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES BANGUED, Abra.—In the afternoon of March 23 this year, 50 heavily armed guards of mayoral candidate Cromwell Luna appeared at the kindergarten graduation of Tineg Central School in Barangay Agsimao in Tineg town. Eyewitnesses said children wailed, old men and women cried, while the rest scampered for cover as the men

By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES BANGUED, Abra.— Bangued Mayor Dominic Valera is under hospital arrest after he allegedly shot and killed a supporter of his political rival earlier today, the first recorded casualty of an election-related violent incident in the province. Abra provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Ernesto Gaab said two witnesses pointed to Valera as

By MARK JOSEPH UBALDE FIRST-TIME voter Diana Aricheta excitedly opened the overseas absentee voting (OAV) packet she received in the mail last week. But when the 20-year-old Los Angeles, California resident spread the contents of the envelope on the table, confusion set in. The packet held three legal-size sheets containing the names of the party-list

By CITIZEN JOURNALISTS (CJ) – PAMPANGA SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga.—Saying “my kabalens are intelligent voters,” Filipinas Sampang, independent candidate for the 2nd district, believes she stands a chance against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the congressional race. As one of three Kapampangans challenging Arroyo for the congressional seat, the 48-year-old Sampang said there is a “great opportunity

By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES BANGUED, Abra.— A political supporter of a mayoralty candidate here was shot this morning while helping cook for the wedding of a relative in Barangay Calot. Elmer Velasco was shot four times–in the chest and right forearm–at his relative’s house in Sitio Laylay at 7:30 a.m but is now in stable condition at

By LEYTE SAMAR DAILY EXPRESS CATBALOGAN CITY.—The Independent Commission against Private Armies (ICAPA) has urged politicians in Eastern Visayas to help dismantle existing private armed groups. ICAPA Chairperson Justice Monina Arevalo-Zenarosa singled out the region as among the places where these armed groups continue to exist. The others are Abra, Marawi City, Davao and Zamboanga

By MELVIN PURZUELO Green Forum Western Visayas ILOILO CITY. —As if the automation of the May 10 polls were not complicated enough, local political formations here are making the upcoming elections more confusing. Mayor Jerry Trenas, who is running for congressman, and Vice Mayor Jed Mabilog, who is running for mayor, have formed an alliance

By MARK JOSEPH UBALDE WITH barely 14 days left before the elections, a multisectoral group is making a last-ditch effort to convince the Commission on Elections to adopt a parallel nationwide manual count to avoid a possible “Automated Garci.” In a press conference held at Club Filipino Sunday, leaders of concerned groups that include the

Former President Joseph Estrada of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) showed he has not lost his “masa “ appeal despite having been ousted from power and convicted of plunder.

By DIANA DELOS SANTOS BIÑAN, Laguna.—Elections used to be peaceful here, but things seem to be changing in Biñan, San Pedro and Sta. Rosa that comprise the first district of Laguna. On March 23,  Barangay Chairman Eric Jimenez of San Antonio, Biñan left the city’s sports coliseum after watching cockfights and was walking to his

By DANNY SABINO Kapayapaan Kapatid Council/Enigma and Panukad Student Volunteers GENERAL SANTOS CITY.–Some 4,000 environmentalists marked World Earth Day Wednesday with simultaneous rallies in Tampakan, South Cotabato and Maasim, Sarangani to protest the planned construction of a coal-fired power plant and mining activities in these provinces. Leaders of religious groups, fishermen, indigenous people and other

By URBANO S.D. CORDERO JR. RODRIGUEZ, Rizal.—Two main political parties are striving to hit the electoral homerun here as the May elections draw near. Cecilio “Elyong” Hernandez, president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) and the Liberal Party’s bet, is running against Aksyon Demokratiko candidate Roy ‘RC” Cuerpo, the son and administrative assistant of

Text and Photos by FRANKLIN Q. DE GUZMAN Archdiocesan Social Action Apostolate Lingayen-Dagupan LINGAYEN, Pangasinan.—Political rivals, representatives of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), members of religious groups and ordinary citizens poured out into the streets of this town recently to express their determination to hold clean and peaceful elections in May. In an event called

Text by ELLEN TORDESILLAS Photos by MARIO IGNACIO LIPA CITY.—Batangueños gave Liberal Party presidential candidate Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and his running mate, Manuel “Mar” Roxas Jr., a rapturous welcome here over the weekend. Gov. Vilma Santos and her husband Ralph Recto, who is running for senator in the LP slate, received and hosted Aquino

ARMED Forces Chief Delfin Bangit approved the release of 10 Magdalo soldiers after the court decided that their  sentence of eight months’ imprisonment was considered served since they have been in detention since the November 2007 Manila Peninsula siege. Former Marine Capt. Gary Alejano and former Ltsg  James Layug were released Sunday and eight others

By BERNADETTE ILAO Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan STA. CRUZ, Mindoro Occidental.—For the Mangyan tribe of Barangay Pinagtuliran, Sitio Siapo in this province, things will be different in this year’s elections. Tricked and taken advantage of in past polls, the Mangyans are taking steps to make sure that they would be able to exercise their right

By DUKE THOMAS G. DOLORICAL Task Force 2010 “EVEN if you make us vote, if we don’t know whom to vote for, it’s as if we are still wasting our vote.” So lamented detainee Gemma Talingting at a recent voter education seminar conducted by the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB) at the Davao City Female Jail.

THE Nacionalista Party has brought provincial rallies to another level with Wowowillie’ s team of TV host Willie Revillame. The format is open-air concert with world-class production values featuring big stars like Andrew E, Randy Santiago,  Geneva Cruz, Jessa Zaragoza and Ara Mina. In between musical numbers, senatorial candidates give a five-minute speech. Last Sunday’s show,