News Roundup 23 March 2022
Mar 23, 2022 • 6 min Read
Comelec grants OVP request to allow pandemic response projects during campaign | PHILSTAR.COM – The Commission on Elections has granted the request of the Office of the Vice President to allow it to resume a number of its projects under its COVID-19 pandemic response initiative as Vice President Leni Robredo continues her presidential campaign. This was confirmed by Comelec Commissioner George Garcia in a Viber message to reporters. The Comelec en banc, he said, granted the petition for exception of the OVP of certain projects and programs during the 45-day period of the campaign. “We thank the Comelec en banc for their action on the OVP’s request,” lawyer Barry Guttierez, Robredo’s spokesperson, said in a statement when sought for a reaction. “This will ensure that Angat Buhay projects which have helped hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in the past six years can continue to bring hope to communities all over the Philippines.” Under Comelec Resolution No. 10730, the official campaign period begins on February 8 and ends on May 7, 2022. The resolution also defines “election campaigning” as “an act designed to promote the election or defeat of a particular candidate or candidates to a public office.” Robredo, who is running for president, suspended her office’s pandemic response initiatives as far back as February 4 as her office filed its request for an exemption. The campaign period is set to run for just 45 more days. The OVP’s projects include the Bayanihan E-Konsulta, Swab Cab, and Vaccine Express. The OVP has said that the logos of the programs have since been redesigned to remove links to Robredo. “We have [four] COVID-19 response programs and we are requesting for an exemption because while cases go down, we see the number of people asking for help every day. And if we stop this, others do not have anywhere to go,” she said then. The vice president at the time vowed not to show up at the programs’ operations if her office were to be given an exemption. “It would be a waste to end this because we’re helping a lot of people. We understand why an exemption is needed, but we said that if we’re given an exemption, I won’t show my face there and we will make sure the logo isn’t identified to me,” she said.
Groups ask SC to compel Comelec to make May 2022 polls preps transparent | INQUIRER.NET – Three organizations sought the help of the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday to compel the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to be transparent in its preparations for the approaching national and local elections on May 9. “Comelec is not being transparent in all the automated election systems and is putting the public in the dark. This is a very dangerous precedent as Comelec itself is willfully hiding critical information about the entire automated election system,” reads the petition filed by the National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC), Automated Election System Watch (AES WATCH), and Guardians Brotherhood, Inc. (GBI). In their petition for mandamus, the groups asked the high court to direct the Comelec to allow the inspection of the ongoing ballot printing at the National Printing Office (NPO) as well as the examination of ballots that were printed in the absence of observers. They also asked for the publication of deployment destinations of ballots printed in the absence of observers and disposition or destruction of the reported 5.2 million defective ballots. Petitioners also said they want details on the preparation of the SD (secure digital) cards to be used in the vote-counting machines (VCMs) through Comelec-accredited observers in the Sta. Rosa, Laguna warehouse, including access to and examination of the SD cards that have already been configured and prepared without the presence of observers and allow the public to observe pre-logic and accuracy test (Pre-LAT) and other tests to be conducted. They likewise said that the Comelec should disclose details on its preparation, testing, and deployment of the VCMs and all its parts, attachments, and tools through Comelec accredited observers, transmission diagram or data/communications network structure including the details of the transmission router server and/or the “Meet-Me Room,” and all devices and equipment that will be used to transmit election results.
Robredo sisters urge Kakampinks: Avoid name-calling, calmly convert more people | Manila Bulletin – Two daughters of Vice President Leni Robredo urged her volunteers and supporters to go out of their circles and encourage more people to support their mother’s presidential bid. Robredo sisters Dr. Tricia and Aika made this appeal following the successful rally in Pasig City that around 137,000 individuals attended, according to authorities over the weekend. In an Instagram post, Tricia said more work needs to be done since the situation on the ground is different from her mother’s jam-packed rallies. “Don’t want to be the one who spoils the party but let’s address the elephant in the room: our rallies have been the absolute best, but the situation on the ground is very different,” she said. Even though she enjoys doing market runs and house-to-house campaigns, Dr. Robredo revealed that she was devastated after being heckled in some communities several times. Despite this, she called on supporters not to give up as many of those who back other candidates are still willing to listen. “My ask is for us to go out of circles. Lumabas, makinig at subukang makiusap ng mahinahon (Go out, listen, and try to calmly appeal),” Dr. Robredo said. “Medyo more than six years na ring nakaka-tempt mangbarda lolz but habaan pa ng kaunti ang pasensya . We’ve been fighting the temptation to fight back for more than six years but let’s be more patient),” she added. Dr. Robredo likewise reminded kakampinks, the supporters of Vice President Robredo, to be more mindful of comments that may sound offensive and elitist and not to resort to labeling people as “bobo” (dumb) or “bayaran” (paid hacks). “Maraming nabiktima lang din ng disinformation. Maraming hirap, kumakayod at naghahanap lang ng maiuuwi sa pamilya. Ipaglaban din natin sila (There are many victims of disinformation. Many are in poverty and are only trying to bring food to the table. Let’s fight for them),” she added. In the coming days, Dr. Robredo also encouraged supporters to visit various communities in groups and try to convince more people to vote for the Vice President. “Matrabaho at minsan nakakadismaya ang ganitong lakad, pero lahat ng bagay pinaghihirapan (These ventures are hard work and sometimes disappointing, but we must work hard),” she said. “Hataw tayo sa pag-convert sa umaga para mas dumami pa tayong makisaya sa rallies pag gabi (Let’s strive to convert people in the morning so we can have fun with more people in our evening rallies),” she added. Her sister Aika echoed her call, saying it is essential to talk to the people.
