Archive - Vote 2013

By CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS, MindaNews and VERA Files KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia –  The Philippine government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front  peace panels ended their three-day talks here Wednesday with  a five-paragraph Joint Statement “expressing confidence in wrapping up” discussions on the transition from the present Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to the “new autonomous political

By CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS, MindaNews and VERA Files KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia –  “On the same page now, but different paragraphs.” This was how Malaysian facilitator Tengku Dato’ Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed summed up the progress of  the first two days of the three-day peace negotiations here between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation

DAVAO CITY—The passing jeepneys barely notice the man standing under the shade of a tree along Magallanes Street here, even if he uses his crutch to grab their attention. But he is not trying to get a ride. He is merely offering jeepney drivers some stickers to remind them and other passengers of the rights of commuters who are persons with disability (PWDs).

  By FROILAN GALLARDO, MindaNews CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Army soldiers swooped into the town of Maguing in Lanao del Sur and arrested 30 suspected flying registrants today, the last day of the two-week registration of voters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The crackdown came as the Commission on Elections reported they

By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES   COTABATO CITY— Voters in some Maguindanao towns could be disenfranchised because they were given only a few days to register, and not the full 10 days set aside by the Commission on Elections. Lawyer Noel A. Ben, chapter president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Cotabato City and adviser of

AMIEL MARK CAGAYAN, Reporter and Videographer ARTHA KIRA PAREDES, Writer DATU PIANG, Maguindanao—For weeks now, parishioners of the church in Datu Piang, Maguindanao have been praying for a peaceful conduct of the general voters’ registrations, now on its last day in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The 300 or so Catholic families who

By BABYLYN KANO-OMAR VERA Files BONGAO, Tawi-tawi—Former Elections Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, now vice president of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), arrived here Sunday for a brief visit to check on PPCRV operations. Larrazabal visited six registration centers, and in some of these centers saw that among the PPCRV volunteers were persons with

By FROILAN GALLARDO, MindaNews MARAWI CITY  — Flying registrants are getting paid more and “instant registration centers “have cropped up in Marawi City and outlying towns in Lanao del Sur as the registration of new voters reached the final two days, an election watchdog said today. Sinab Ibrahim, head of the Citizens Care Lanao del

 By LOVE ILUSTRE, DXSM  JOLO, Sulu— Election officials noticed a decline in the number of residents going to registration centers, on the eighth day of the ongoing voters’ registration in some towns in this province. Compared to the first week of registration where centers were crammed and jammed, there were fewer registrants in the towns

The PUVs and tricycles used to transport at least 200 illegal registrants from Isulan, Sultan Kudarat held by the PNP at Brgy. Kamasi, Ampatuan, Maguindanao yesterday. Video by Jeff Mendez, Oblate Media. By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES Video courtesy of OBLATE MEDIA COTABATO CITY— The “hakot” system—transporting residents by hundreds to different registration centers— in the

By MindaNews and VERA Files MALAYBALAY CITY  — The Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID) has joined the call for setting up of voters’ registration outside the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to accommodate ARMM voters who are temporarily outside of the region. “PCID believes in the democratic right of Muslims to participate in the electoral

By MindaNews and VERA Files ZAMBOANGA CITY – Gunmen armed with high-powered rifles killed one person and injured two others when they attacked early Monday a ferry loaded with people on the way home to register for next year’s elections in Basilan province, a military official said. Col. Ramon Yogyog, Special Operations Task Force-Basilan commander said

By FERDINANDH B. CABRERA, MindaNews and VERA Files COTABATO CITY — A seven-year old girl died and her mother was wounded in an explosion that occurred today in front of the house of former governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. in Barangay Timbangan, Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao. Killed was Agatha Sakal, who was with her mother

By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES Photos by AMIEL MARK CAGAYAN COTABATO CITY—Police officials have recorded six registration-related violent incidents between July 8 and July 13 in the  Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The assessment was submitted to Task Force Rehistro (TFR) that held its fourth meeting at the Office of the Regional Governor Monday.  The Philippine

By BABYLYN KANO-OMAR, VERA Files BONGAO, Tawi-tawi—The 10 days set aside for the general registration of voters would be sufficient to accommodate all registrants, and an extension would be unnecessary, election officials said. But some sectors have been asking for a extension of the registration, giving rise to suspicion that such calls are a ploy

Text and photos by RICHARD FALCATAN LAMITAN CITY— The number of registrants in four big barangays of this city have doubled over the weekend. From the usual 200 registrants per registration center on weekdays, around 400 registrants flocked to the four classrooms designated as registration centers at the Lamitan Central School. The four barangays covered in

ARTHA KIRA PAREDES, Reporter AMIEL MARK CAGAYAN, Producer DATU SALIBO, Maguindanao— Heavy rains at the start of the voters’ registration in Datu Salibo, Maguindanao  left the main road flooded for almost a week now. The intermittent downpour all throughout the day also caused the swelling of the Botalo River. As a result, houses in the vicinity

Text by ARTHA KIRA PAREDES Photos and Video by AMIEL MARK CAGAYAN UPI, Maguindanao—The local Commission on Election (Comelec) here spent Sunday making sure that all teachers and school employees in the municipality were registered as voters. Election Officer Flordelina Muñoz said allotting Sunday for the registration of education personnel was the local Comelec’s initiative