Voters' registration marred with chaos in Ecija city

GAPAN CITY – The Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office (NEPPO) has deployed seven policemen to maintain the peace and order at the vicinity of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office here over the weekend as registration of voters was stopped for almost two days after a brother of Mayor Ernesto Natividad allegedly offended an election officer.

Natividad said he has yeto talk with his brother, identified as Romeo Natividad, after the “unfortunate incident” but said it could have happened if only the Comelec officials acted on his complaint against the chief of the local election office, Belen Villasis De Vera.

In a complaint before the police, election officer II Herbert Santiago said he was attending to registrants at about 2p.m. Wednesday when Natividad with a gun tucked on waist confronted him and hurled invectives.

Accompanied by unnamed bodyguards, Natividad who is also called Miong or Master, allegedly told him: “namumuro ka na” He said the suspect then grabbed him by the neck and was about to punch him when restrained by his aides. Natividad then left the office.

Santiago said he was taken aback by the incident.

De Vera, on the other hand, considering the safety of his men decided to order the suspension of the registration and transported registration machines to the Comelec provincial office in Cabanatuan City .

The incident reportedly stemmed from a complaint from some registrants who found the process too strict for them. The registrants went to the mayor’s office for help prompting the mayor’s brother to rush to the Comelec office which is located at the 2^nd floor of the city hall.

The mayor’s office is at the ground floor.

“But there should never be bodily contact,” said De Vera, saying her office never played bias against any party. She said they have established requirements for registration and the same is observed for every registrant.

But the local chief executive said the Comelec, where relatives of Vice Mayor Christian Tinio employ, has been favoring the latter.

Tinio, son of former Vice Gov. Oscar Tinio, is reportedly eyeing the mayoralty post against Natividad’s wife in 2010.

Santiago said he has no reason to be biased.

KC launches poll automation info drive

CABANATUAN CITY - Saying voting electronically is an easy but delicate job, the Catholic-based organization Knights of Columbus is waving an all-out educational drive for voters.

Armando Galang, Grand Knight of the KofC Padre Crisostomo Council 6000 in this city, said Thursday that all councils of the Order are asked to conduct the campaign after information technology experts from its Manila office held a briefing among members in the countryside recently.

"It is the patriotic duty of every knight to help our voters know the voting process so that their rights will go to waste" Galang said.

Ronnie Infante, an IT expert, said that while automation will definitely make the exercise of the right to suffrage of every Filipino easier and fast, voters' education is in urgent necessity owing to the unfamiliarity of most people on the system.

Among the possible errors voters can commit is over-voting, according to Infante. Over voting, he said, happens when a voter shades circles or oval opposite of the candidates' name more than the number of required position. Thus, a voter who shaded 13 or more circles for senators will find all his or her votes for the senators, including the 12 he actually meant to vote, invalid.

There could be no problem, however, if the voter will blacken circles less than than twelve in the field.

Gary San Sebastian, meanwhile, said that besides actual voting process and the automated counting, elections almost look the same as the previous set. "There will still be lawyers, watchers and other parties concerned," he said. Protest could even be possible, he said.

They stressed four specific actions a voter should do to vote: These are: early check of their names in the voters' list, present to the board of election inspectors valid identification card, shade the circles opposite of the candidates he or she elects on the ballot and put the ballot correctly in the machine which serves as ballot box.

Illiterate citizens can still ask assistance from their relatives, as allowed in the previous elections.

The KofC officers underscored the need for everyone to deliver information to others.

All of its councils nationwide are enjoined to conduct the voters' forum even to smallest units of society such their own families, San Sebastian added.

Influenza A (H1N1) contained – Golez

Malacañang today said that the influenza A (H1N1) has been contained.

In a radio interview this morning, Dr. Anthony Golez, deputy presidential
spokesperson also called on the people not to resort to panic-buying of
medicines amid the flu scare as the country has adequate stock of
anti-viral drugs.

He said the Department of Health (DOH) has one million pieces of anti-viral
drugs -- a stockpile that can be easily augmented through new procurements.

Golez, who is also deputy administrator of the National Disaster
Coordinating Council (NDCC), said the vigilance of the (DOH) in monitoring
and tracing those afflicted by the A (H1N1) has enabled the government to
control the spread of the virus.

He said the DOH’s aggressive contact-tracing of the first victim, who came
from the United States and those she came in contact with, made it possible
for health authorities to properly contain the virus from spreading.

“Based on its experience with SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)
before, the DOH was able to adopt this contact-tracing procedure more
systematically and more aggressively with this new flu virus which, thanks
God, has not reached a pandemic or human-to-human transmission stage yet,”
Golez said.

The best thing that people can do is observe proper personal
hygiene—frequent and thorough hand-washing—and proper respiratory etiquette
in sneezing and coughing, he added.

Golez said he witnessed first-hand how contact-tracing was being used by
DOH with SARS cases. With its experience in reacting to SARS, including the
quarantining of actual and possible carrier of the virus, has helped the
health department contain the spread of influenza A (H1NI1).

But he pointed out that he sees no rest for the DOH and its workers
nationwide in the next few weeks as the country continues to raise the
ramparts against the spread of the virus.

He reiterated, however, that the supply of anti-viral drugs would not be a
problem. But he explained that when it comes to epidemics or pandemics, the
government handles the drugs and dispenses it only to those who have been
afflicted so as not to create artificial shortages of the needed medicines.

No need to panic because the AH1N1 is contained, Golez said.

Guimba, Nueva Ecija: New Vice Mayor installed

GUIMBA, Nueva Ecija - The vice mayor of this town, after serving for two years, was unseated.

This after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc dismissed the petition of the incumbent vice mayor in favor of the ruling of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 31 Judge Napoleon Sta. Romana.

Sta. Romana has declared Roseller De Guzman as the real winner over the initially proclaimed vice mayor Angelina Dela Cruz in the May 14, 2007 elections.

De Guzman took his oath of office before Gov. Aurelio Umali at the provincial Capitol before formally assuming his post as "duly elected vice mayor" of Guimba on Wednesday.

In his Nov. 26, 2007 decision, Sta. Romana ruled that De Guzman won over his rival, Angelina Dela Cruz.

"Wherefore, judgment is hereby rendered declaring the protestant, Roseller T. De Guzman, as the winner for the vice mayoralty position with plurality of 776 votes," part of the court's decision reads.

Dela Cruz was proclaimed winner by the municipal board of canvasser after the May 2007 voting.

But De Guzman filed the election protest before the RTC which in turn managed to issue a decision, consisting of 689 pages, within the six months regulatory period.

After the recount ot votes from numerous precincts, the court found De Guzman to have garnered 11,373 votes as against dela Cruz's 10,597 votes.

Dela Cruz appealed the Court decision to the Comelec. However, an order signed by Comelec Chairman Jose Melo and six other commissioners dismissed Dela Cruz's petition in an en banc resolution dated April 23, 2007.

De Guzman said the Comelec resolution prompted the RTC to issue a writ of execution on May 19, 2009.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) implemented the writ with Sheriff IV Inocencio Garampil III, said de Guzman.

7TH ID conducted awarding ceremony on Physical Fitness Test Challenge

Fort Ramon Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija - The 7^th Infantry Division, Philippine Army conducted the awarding ceremony on its just concluded Physical Fitness Test Challenge on the flag raising ceremony on May 25, 2009 at infront Hqs, 7ID. The Physical Fitness Test Challenge at the 7ID was conducted to determine the physical ability and stamina of one soldier on the performance of his duty and responsibilities. PFT includes test on running and physical exercises (push up and sit up event).

As a result of the FT Challenge following individual are the best performer according to their age category:

Pfc Victoriano A Dimas (Inf) PA - 17 – 25 yrs old 71IB

Pfc Manuel I Pascual (Inf) PA - 26 – 30 yrs old 71IB

Cpl Manolo G Marquez (Inf) PA - 31 – 35 yrs old 71IB

Cpl Shane S Gregorio (Inf) PA - 41 – 44 yrs old 7MIBn

Msg Crispin A Dela Cruz (Inf) PA - 45 – 48 yrs old HHSBn

SMS Ignacio O Morales (Inf) PA - 49 – 52 yrs old 7MIBn

Tsg Precillano A Rica ((nf) PA - 53 yrs old 701Bde

Letter of recognition and monetary award were given to the deserving unit and individual by the Assistant Division Commander, COL RESTITUTO L AGUILAR (CAV) GSC PA.

“The conduct of PFT Challenge at 7ID is indeed a rewarding kind of activity for our soldiers. To regain our physical stamina and mental alertness were the good things brought by this challenge. As a physical fitness enthusiast, I encourage our soldier to participate with the physical fitness test every now and then and immerse himself with this kind of activity. A sound mind and body is a significant tool to performed well our task that is to serve our country and our fellowmen” said MGEN RALPH A VILLANUEVA, Commander, 7ID, PA.