News Roundup 29 March 2022
Mar 29, 2022 • 5 min Read
Pinoys yearning for new kind of governance – Robredo | PHILSTAR.COM – Filipinos are yearning for a new kind of governance in the next six years, presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo said yesterday, citing the growing number of volunteers who take part in her people’s campaign. Robredo noticed that people joining her campaign rallies are more enthusiastic than in past elections. “This election is different because supporters like you are even more tired than the candidates. And it’s not only that you are doing this for free; you even spend your own money,” she told her supporters in Calbayog City, Western Samar. The Vice President said she and her running mate Sen. Francis Pangilinan are amazed by their supporters’ enthusiasm. “I think everyone understands that this election is very important. Because we will not only choose the candidates we want, but also the kind of governance we want to have in the next six years,” Robredo said. She added that her programs at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) are proof of her campaign slogan, “Sa Gobyernong Tapat, Angat Buhay Lahat (In An Honest Government, A Better Life for All).” “What we promise is good governance. We promise to be good and competent public servants. Why is this important? So that people will trust the government,” the Vice President said. “We saw that when people trust the government, they are the ones who are willing to help,” she added. Despite the OVP’s limited mandate as well as resources, it was able to implement various projects that helped numerous people, according to Robredo. “Because we protect the people’s money, nothing from our meager budget went to corruption. We made sure that the funds went to areas that are really in need,” she said.
Comelec can probe vote-buying claims sans complainants — Robredo spox | INQUIRR.NET – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) can initiate an investigation on claims of vote-buying in campaign sorties without waiting for a complainant, Vice President Leni Robredo’s spokesperson claimed on Tuesday. Robredo spokesman Barry Gutierrez, a lawyer by profession, told ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo’s On the Spot that since several vote-buying allegations have been well documented by media, Comelec can already delve deeper into these issues. He added that there were admissions from some officials that money was distributed during sorties and rallies, although the officials said that these merely coincided with the distribution of social aid. “Ang isang kinadidismaya ko lang, ang dami nang reports na lumabas before, ang dami nang mga picture ng mga (vote-buying) — at hindi lang basta picture, inamin mismo ng mga tao, na lider na nag-organize ng rally na namigay sila ng pera. ‘Yon nga lang meron silang ibang […] ayuda daw, hindi pa raw start ng campaign period sa local kaya pwede pa raw magbigay,” Gutierrez said. (One of the things I’m disappointed at is that a lot of reports have already come out, there are pictures of alleged vote-buying, and these are not only pictures but leaders and organizers of the said rally have admitted that they are giving money. But they said that it was for social aid, and that the local campaign period has not started which allows them to give money.) “Pero ‘di ba? Sa akin dapat sapat na ‘yong batayan para at least simulan ng Comelec ang imbestigasyon. Di naman sila required na tumanggap, na maghintay ng ano, ng reklamo ng sinuman. Nakita na nila ‘yon,” he added. (But for me, I think that’s a sufficient basis for Comelec to at least start an investigation. They are not compelled to receive or wait for any complaints from anyone. They themselves saw it already.) According to Gutierrez, Comelec is not a court which would hear complaints, but a body tasked to implement the elections — hence it can move on its own and investigate these issues. “Hindi kailangan ng complainant, sa akin hindi dapat gano’n ‘yon eh, ang Comelec hindi naman korte ‘yan ‘di ba. Sila ang tiga-pangasiwa ng eleksyon, so on their own, they can actually move to investigate,” he noted. (I don’t think there’s a need for a complaint, because for me, that is not the case because Comelec is not a court, right? They are in-charge of the elections, so on their own, they can actually move to investigate.) Gutierrez did not mention what specific vote-buying event he was talking about, but Comelec last March 17 said that it needs to hear complainants after national television stations captured the provision of envelopes containing money at a Nueva Ecija rally of former senator Bongbong Marcos and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s Uniteam.
House of Pilar, Abra vice mayor cordoned after bodyguards fired at police checkpoint | Manila Bulletin – Police forces have cordoned the house of Pilar, Abra Vice Mayor Jaja Josefina Disono after her bodyguards allegedly engaged policemen in a gun battle after disregarding a police checkpoint on Tuesday morning, March 29. Police Capt. Marnie Abellanida, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-Crodillera Administrative Region, also belied the claims circulating in the social media that the local police ambushed the group of Disono. “There is no truth to that. What happened was that there was a van that ignored our checkpoints in the area and those on board even fired on our troops manning the checkpoints,” Abellanida told the Manila Bulletin in a phone interview. Based on the report from the ground, Abellanida said personnel of the Pilar Municipal Police Station and Regional Mobile Forces Battalion were conducting checkpoint near the town proper of Pilar when they flagged down the van that was passing in the area. Instead of stopping, he said the van ignored the checkpoint and even rammed the two policemen who were about to check the vehicle. Those on board even fired at the policemen before speeding off. One of the police cars was hit. “Our personnel immediately pursued the vehicle and they saw that the vehicle entered a compound owned by the vice mayor,” said Abellanida. It was learned that Disono is running for reelection for the May 9 elections.
