Archive - Vote 2013

By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES BANGUED, Abra—The filing of certificates of candidacy for local positions last week signals the approaching election season, and for inmates at the Abra Provincial Jail (APJ), this could mean one thing: Freedom.

By LORIE ANN A. CASCARO with a report from CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS, MindaNews DAVAO CITY —The Regional Legislative Assembly (RLA) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is confident it can beat the deadline of six months given for the review of Republic Act 9054 (Expanded Organic Act for the ARMM) as it has so far “achieved two major things,” RLA Speaker Rasol Y. Mitmug Jr. said.

By CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS, MindaNews DAVAO CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has found through its Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) at least 61,416 double/multiple registrants in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as of September 11.

By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES The hearings of the Election Registration Board (ERB) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has been postponed again. Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution 9519 promulgated September 13 moved the ERB schedule to November. The postponement was made based on the recommendation of lawyer Teofisto Elnas Jr, Director IV of the Election and Barangay Affairs Department.

By VERA Files UMINGAN, Pangasinan – This town posted the highest turnout of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the province’s special voters registration, thanks to the efficient coordination of municipal government agencies, local leaders and PWD organizations.

By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES SULU residents are bent on filing an objection to the list of voting applicants, despite possible reprisals and threats to their lives, Sulu’s second district representative said.

COTABATO CITY— The Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) now faces the difficult, if not almost impossible, task of weeding out the multiple registrants from last July’s general voters’ registration because the Commission on Election failed to provide for the automatic deletion of such registrants.

Text and interview by ARTHA KIRA PAREDES, Photos and video by AMIEL MARK CAGAYAN COTABATO CITY— Local leaders in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) need to change their old habits by committing to clean and honest elections, said an Oblate priest who used to head the panel negotiating peace with Muslim rebels groups.

Text by ARTHA KIRA PAREDES, Photos and video by AMIEL MARK CAGAYAN DATU SAUDI AMPATUAN, Maguindanao— The hearings of the Election Registration Board (ERB) will push through in Maguindanao until the scheduled completion by September, even if the ongoing conflict persists.

BONGAO, Tawi-tawi—Muslim leaders challenged followers of Islam to change public perceptions that the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is the cheating capital of the Philippines.

Text by ARTHA KIRA PAREDES, Photos and video by AMIEL MARK CAGAYAN COTABATO CITY— The task force created to get people to take part in the recently concluded general voters’ registration in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will become an election monitoring group in the 2013 midterm polls.

Text and photos by VINCENT GO JOLO, Sulu—The recently concluded general voters’ registration here went peacefully and smoothly, despite the various obstacles that Sulu province faces.