Last Monday, according to a military spokesperson, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will be on a red alert all over the country red alert starting Friday. This rank of situation is the highest security status — in preparation for the upcoming May polls.

Col. Ricardo Nepomuceno of the military’s Task Force Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections (HOPE) said to reporters yesterday, the red alert status will remain lifted until May 20 which was declared ten days ahead of the polls.

“We want to be prepared, especially since that [period] covers the time of the delivery of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines. We want to make sure that we are monitoring what’s happening to the PCOS,” he said.

The entire military officers are required to be on their posts at all times upon declaration of a red alert status. The Commission on Elections (Comelec), through three forwarding companies, began delivering the poll machines to precincts in the Visayas and Mindanao previously this month. Over half of the PCOS machines have been delivered to their respective hubs, the poll body declared last Monday.

“We are monitoring that (transport of the PCOS machines) but the responsibility of the transportation lies with the Comelec-designated forwarders but we are assisting them. We are securing them,” said Nepomuceno.

Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales had previously positioned the Armed Forces at the full disposal of the Comelec to guarantee the peaceful conduction of elections in May.

According to the leader of the Kilusan ng mga Aktwal na Naninirahan sa Estado ng Payatas (Kanepa), Daisy Bardoquillo and spokesperson of the newly-formed Green Army Brigades, the outcome of mock elections they have been conducting since March among informal settlers in Metro Manila, were in complete disparity to the survey results being released by the Social Weather Station (SWS) and the Pulse Asia.

“Our own surveys had Teodoro winning popular support among the urban poor. In six big events attended by leaders of urban poor groups held in March and early April, a total of 963 joined the mock polls conducted after the meetings,” Bardoquillo said. Joven Pajora, president of the Parola Binondo Coalition.

Likewise, according to GAB, Gibo was the top pick for President with 464 respondents voting for him.

He was trailed by Estrada who got 306 votes, Liberal Party presidential bet Sen. Benigno Aquino III placed third with 127 while Sen. Manuel Villar attained 33 votes. Evangelist Eddie Villanueva had 17 votes; Nicanor Perlas, seven; Sen. Richard Gordon, six and JC de los Reyes, five. Sen. Jamby Madrigal received only a single vote. On the other hand, Pajora said 56 were still undecided.

Bardoquillo and Pajora jointly said that the mock polls were carried out in urban poor districts in Baseco and Smokey Mountain, Manila; Sucat, Parañaque; Tonsuya, Malabon; Golden Ville Tower, San Jose del Monte, Navotas, Caloocan City and Pasay City.

Both said their group have decided to back Teodoro’s presidential bid because of their general disappointment over the negative campaigns carried out by other presidential aspirants.

“We will saturate Metro Manila to recruit more members for Green Army Brigades who will not just campaign but will also deliver a mass-based, solid vote for Gibo Teodoro,” Bordoquillo added.

On the other hand, Erap affirmed that in case he wins, there will be no vengeance to arise. The former President aired confidence, on the eve of marking the 73rd year of his life, that the May 10, 2010 national and local elections will be done successful, yielding peaceful and reliable outcome while declaring that in a second Estrada administration, ”there will be no room for vengeance because I believe that vengeance is not mine, it belongs only to God alone.”

”I harbor no anger against those who betrayed my trust, and as President I will not personally file charges nor interfere or exercise influence with the judiciary on cases that maybe filed against past official wrong-doing,” Estrada said in an exclusive Bulletin interview Sunday at his North Greenhills home.

Erap stressed out that taking retribution against any person who has done him bad things is not his lifestyle. He also pointed out that getting even and resolving fights are only for the feeble as forgiveness is a quality attribute among ”those who are strong in faith.”

”Forgiveness is a character of the strong and I want to be strong, while being unforgiving is a trait among the weak opting not to find any space in their hearts to forgive,” Estrada declared.

”As President, I will not personally file charges against any former official, nor interfere or exercise influence with the judiciary in the event of cases which may arise against former government officials,” he said.

Great news for all our beloved teachers!

A memorandum of agreement (MoA) has been inked between the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) to make their commitment official to provide legal assistance to public school teachers, free of charge who may be encountering legal suits in the performance of their election-related responsibilities.

Recently assigned Education Secretary Dr. Mona D. Valisno stated that there have been occurrences during elections where teachers, in the performance of their election duties, are mistakenly charged of misconduct and are unjustifiably faced with legal suits.

“We express our deep appreciation to IBP for such a generous act as this will reassure our teachers who are committed to protect the integrity of the elections,” she said.

Valisno headed DepEd in signing the contract with IBP, represented by Justice Santiago Kapunan, officer-in-charge; and Atty. Rodolfo Urbiztondo, deputy general counsel and chief of staff. Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Franklin Sunga, Assistant Secretary for Special Projects Jonathan Malaya, some regional directors, and representatives from a variety of teachers’ organizations were also present at the agreement signing.

The DepEd is ordered by law to create obtainable the services of public school teachers who will hand round as chairmen and members of the different board of election inspectors (BEI) in the forthcoming May 10, 2010 national and local elections.

According to Valisno, the MoA will situate the dealings on how such free legal assistance could be quickly availed by affected public school teachers.

“The MoA arises from our desire to promote and protect the welfare of the public school teachers who will again play a key role in this democratic exercise,” she said.

Justice Kapunan also stated that the agreement evidently specifies IBP’s vow to DepEd to supply free legal assistance to public school teachers who will be charged administratively and criminally in the performance of their election duties.

“IBP lawyers are idealistic volunteers serving the needs of teachers involved in the election. We are happy to do it for free, contrary to what other people think that lawyers are only after the money,” Kapunan added.

Smartmatic-TIM, the group that got hold of the automation contract for the May 2010 elections, confirmed that they are already done manufacturing no less than 45,000 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines that will be applied in the critical political exercise.

“We have delivered to the forwarding companies over 38,000 machines. They are no longer in our factory. They are already in the hands of the forwarding companies and what’s going on is that they need to negotiate with different shipping companies so they can put those machines in their ships,” stated Smartmatic International Corporation Asia-Pacific President, Cesar Flores.

Flores also assured that the overall 82,200 PCOS machines will all be in Manila in time for the elections. “They will be here exactly when we need them to be here,” he said.

The finished machines are apart from the 7,200 PCOS machines that Smartmatic-TIM had previously transported to the country in 2009. An additional set of 8,000 PCOS arrived in the country last week. The PCOS machines are being safely kept in a storehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna.

Flores also stated that the fabrication of the 82,200 PCOS machines may already be completed by the end of the January, given the present work pace in their factory in China.

“The last production will be done by closing of January. So by (end of) January, all the machines would have been produced and we would have started the process of forwarding,” he added.

In yesterday’s press conference at the Comelec headquarters in Intramuros, Manila, the poll body’s chairman, Jose Melo said that only eight of the 99 presidential hopefuls were granted the right to run in next year’s elections. They are:

• Aquino, Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” III (Liberal Party)
• Delos Reyes, John Carlos “JC” (Ang Kapatiran)
• Ejercito Estrada, Joseph M. (Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino – UNO)
• Gordon, Richard J. (Bagumbayan)
• Madrigal, Maria Ana Consuelo “Jamby” AS. (Independent)
• Teodoro, Gilberto Jr. C. (Lakas-Kampi-CMD)
• Villanueva, Eddie C. (Bangon Pilipinas)
• Villar, Manuel Jr. B. (Nacionalista Party)

For the eight vice presidentiables, the list includes:

• Binay, Jejomar C. (PDP-Laban)
• Chipeco, Dominador “Jun” Jr. F. (Ang Kapatiran)
• Fernando, Bayani F. (Bagumbayan)
• Legarda, Loren B. (National People’s Coalition)
• Manzano, Edu B. (Lakas-Kampi-CMD)
• Roxas, Manuel “Mar” II A. (Liberal Party)
• Sonza, Jose “Jay” Y. (Kilusang Bagong Lipunan)
• Yasay, Perfecto Jr. R. (Bangon Pilipinas)

Meanwhile, the 58 out of the 158 senatorial aspirants with approved candidacies are:

• Acosta, Jr. Nereus O. (LP)
• Albani, Shariff Ibrahim H. (KBL)
• Alonto, Zafrullah M. (Bangon Pilipinas)
• Baraquel, Ana. Theresa H. (LP)
• Bautista, J.V. Larion (PMP)
• Bautista, Martin D. (LP)
• Bello, Silvestre III H. (Lakas)
• Biazon, Rozanno Rufino B. (LP)
• Revilla, Ramon “Bong” B. (Lakas)
• Caunan, Henry B. (PDP-Laban)
• Cayetano, Pilar Juliana US. (NP)
• David, Rizalito Y. (Ang Kapatiran)
• De Venecia, Jose III P. (PMP)
• Defensor-Santiago, Miriam P.(People’s Reform Party)
• Drilon, Franklin M. (LP)
• Enrile, Juan Ponce (PMP)
• Estrada, Jinggoy E. (PMP)
• Guico, Ramon, Jr. N. (Lakas)
• Guingona, Teofisto III D. (LP)
• Imbong, Jo Aurea M. (Ang Kapatiran)
• Inocencio, Ma. Katherine Luningning R. (Bangon Pilipinas)
• Lacson, Alexander L. (LP)
• Lambino, Raul L. (Lakas)
• Langit, Rey M. (Lakas)
• Lao, Yasmin B. (LP)
• Lapid, Manuel M. (Lakas)
• Lood, Alma A. (KBL)
• Lozada, Jose Apolinario Jr. L (PMP)
• Maambong, Regalado E. (KBL)
• Marcos, Ferdinand Jr. R. (NP)
• Maza, Liza L. (Independent)
• Millora, Ma. Judea G. (KBL)
• Mitra, Ramon B. (NP)
• Ocampo, Ramoncito P. (Bangong Pilipinas)
• Ocampo, Saturnino C. (Bayan Muna)
• Ople, Susan V. (NP)
• Osmeña, Sergio III D. (Independent)
• Palparan, Jovito Jr. S. (Independent)
• Papin, Imelda A. (KBL)
• Paredes, Zosimo Jesus II M. (Ang Kapatiran)
• Pimentel, Gwendolyn D. (PDP-Laban)
• Plaza, Rodolfo Rodrigo g. (NPC)
• Princesa, Reynaldo R. (Bangon Pilipinas)
• Querubin, Ariel O. (NP)
• Recto, Ralph G. (LP)
• Remulla, Gilbert Cesar C. (NP)
• Riñoza-Plazo, Maria Gracia DV. (Ang Kapatiran)
• Roco, Sonia M. (LP)
• Sison, Adrian O. (Ang Kapatiran)
• Sotto, Vicente III C. (NPC)
• Tamano, Adel A. (NP)
• Tamayo, Reginald B. (Ang Kapatiran)
• Tarrazona, Hector M. (Ang Kapatiran)
• Tatad, Francisco S. (Grand Alliance for Democracy)
• Tinsay, Alexander B. (Bangon Pilipinas))
• Valdehuesa, Manuel Jr. E. (Ang Kapatiran)
• Villanueva, Hector L. (KBL)
• Virgines, Israel N. (Bangon Pilipinas)