February 21, 2007 Philippines



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Filipinos abroad plead for platform-based
polls

Filipinos abroad are circulating a petition letter asking their
fellowmen in the Philippine voters to base their choices for the May mid-term
polls on the candidates' platforms of government and not on personalities.

“We, the overseas Filipinos worldwide, urge each and everyone in the
coming May electoral contest to implore all political parties, emerging
parties and their respective candidates to bring forth a platform-based
campaign so that the electorate can choose credible persons who are worthy
to lead the nation,” the petiton said.

The letter was signed by Leila Rispens-Noel and Doris Alfafara who in
the Netherlands; Basco Fernandez, Joy Puyat, Filipino-Americans Ren Arrieta,
Johnny Pecayo and Cesar Torres; Dennis Yaun based in Luxembourg; and former
expatriates Idelfonso Bagasao and James Zamora who are now in Manila.

The proponents of the petition said: “The proposed platform-based campaign
is envisioned to change this bad practice [of having] a personality and
patronage-based electoral contest.”

“We are encouraging everyone to endorse this manifesto by signing it.
We have to be involved in the coming election and we feel this is the
way – if not the only way - we can show our concerns and exercise our
right as overseas Filipinos to participate in the decision-making process,”
Noel said on behalf of the group.

The group said it is calling for robust, transparent, internally democratic
and accountable political parties in order to develop a stronger democratic
culture in the Philippines.

It also dared those who want to become legitimate servants and leaders
to articulate a concrete and doable developmental plan aimed at the Filipino
migrant workers around the world.

“We pledge to support legitimate servants of the people running for any
public position that aggressively promote the interest of our sector,”
the group said.

These are issues revolving around electoral reforms as contained in the
Oversease Absente Voting Act, the creation of an office with a Cabinet
status such as the ministry of migration and development that will truly
work for the interests of migrant workers, among other proposals. By
Julie Javella-Santos

COMELEC
slows down on Internet voting

The Commission on Elections is having second thoughts on the implementation
of Internet voting in Singapore for the May elections because lawmakers
have opposed the project for absentee voters.

COMELEC Commissioner Florentino Tuason told senators during the Senate
hearing on the online voting process Tuesday that the poll body will still
consider Internet voting. Her, however, said its results will be non-binding.

Tuason said COMELEC will simultaneously conduct a voting process abroad
through regular mail. He said that votes cast through this method will
be binding.

Despite the turnaround, Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Committee
on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, lashed at officials of the poll body
for considering Internet voting despite the lack of proper guidelines.

Internet voting has been scheduled for pilot-testing in Singapore for
the 26,000 overseas Filipino workers there.

Former COMELEC chairman Christian Monsod, however, said that regardless
of the scope of the project, online voting should not be implemented.
He said that it is illegal and sets a bad precedent.

Tuason defended the project before the committee, saying that the Overseas
Absentee Voting Act has a provision for it.

Gordon and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, however, said that the law merely
states that COMELEC can start studying the possibility of conducting online
voting but not actually implement it.

Gordon also said he finds it odd that the poll body is willing to conduct
an illegal voting process but has failed to enforce the election automation
law.

The senator said he is not against absentee voting because overseas Filipino
workers also have the right to participate in the electoral process. He,
however, said absentee voting should be done legally.

COMELEC said it will release a decision on the project next month.



RP
pleads for maid's life

The Philippines will appeal a death sentence given a Filipino maid in
Kuwait who was convicted of fatally stabbing her employer two years ago,
saying the victim's family had already forgiven her, an official said
Tuesday.

Claro Cristobal, spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Department, said the
Philippine Embassy in Kuwait has been instructed to exhaust all efforts
to save Marilou Ranario, including filing an appeal with Kuwait's highest
court.

The 33-year-old teacher who worked in Kuwait as a domestic helper was
found guilty of murdering her employer and sentenced to death by hanging
in 2005.

She told the court she meant only to "harm" the woman, not
kill her, her lawyer said. He quoted his client as saying her employer
had abused her and was planning to arrange for men to rape Ranario.

Cristobal said the victim's family has issued affidavits of forgiveness
that were presented in court in December, but that it refused to consider
them.

"Normally, it's enough to overturn the sentence," he said.

It is legal and common practice in Kuwait and other Arab countries for
victims to accept "blood money," or payments in return for the
pardon of a convicted criminal.

More than 1.5 million Filipinos work in the Middle East, many as nurses,
laborers, and maids.

Filipino
vets could bring over families faster with bill

HONOLULU ­ U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka has reintroduced a bill to make
it easier for children of Filipino World War II veterans to immigrate
to the United States.

The Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act would reunify families
that are separated because of a backlog in visa applications to the State
Department, said Akaka, D-Hawai'i.

Family-sponsored immigrants from the Philippines have the longest wait
times in the world before visas are scheduled to become available to them.
The average wait for Filipinos to receive a visa is 20 years.

"Many of the Filipino veterans who now reside in the United States
have been separated from their children for many years," he said.

About 200,000 Filipinos served in World War II, and about 49,000 of them
are still living. That number is expected to shrink to 20,000 by 2010.

The bill was part of the Senate's immigration reform bill passed last
year but never enacted into law. A compromise bill couldn't be agreed
upon by the House and Senate.

Senate
okays 'Lemon Act of 2007'

The Senate approved Monday night a legislative measure that would protect
the rights of consumers who had the misfortune of buying defective cars
and which will compel automobile manufacturers and dealers to immediately
repair the defects or, if necessary, replace them with comparable vehicles.

Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene” Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) said the
Lemon Law of 2007 (Senate Bill 2464) of which he is one of the principal
authors, will compel car makers and dealers to enforce the warranties
on the sale of motor vehicles and to provide remedies to the victims of
false or fraudulent warranties.

Noting the increasing instances of consumers who complain that the cars
that they bought have turned out to be “lemon,” Pimentel said they should
not be left defenseless in seeking legal remedies in the form of this
new legislation.

“Not only do these poor-quality vehicles shortchange their buyers or
owners, they also endanger the lives and limbs of the drivers and passengers,”
the minority leader said.

Pimentel said that since the purchase of a motor vehicle, next to a residential
house, is the biggest investment of the ordinary Filipino workers, the
government is duty-bound to protect their interest in case the car maker
and dealer fail to honor the product warranty issued to them.

“It is unfortunate that many consumers would find out too late that the
motor vehicles sold to them do not live up to the quality and specifications
advertised by the manufacturer and seller. Hence, they end up with poor
quality vehicles or lemons that endanger the lives and

Group
slams planned Bruckheimer film on Philippine terror group

A leading progressive group in the Philippines on Sunday slammed a film
planned by a U.S. producer. The group said that Hollywood producer Jerry
Bruckheimer's film about the al-Qaieda-linked Abu Sayyaf terror group
in the southern Philippines was nothing more than U.S. "propoganda."

Gerry Corpuz, spokesman for the group Pamalakaya or Fisherfolk Alliance
of the Philippines criticized the movie.

Corpuz said in a statement, "It is a propaganda film and psychological
warfare movie aimed to justify the U.S. unwanted, immoral and anti-people
intervention in the domestic affairs of the country."

Entertainment magazine Variety reported over the weekend that Bruckheimer
had acquired the rights to film "Jihadist in Paradise," written
by American author Mark Bowden. The book depicts the life of notorious
Abu Sayyaf leaders who abducted over 20 foreign tourists in Sipadan Malaysia
then hid them in the jungles in the Philippines.

Bruckheimer's success include "Armageddon" and "Pirates
of the Caribbean" franchise.

Corpuz said the movie will "promote U.S. war on terror and amplify
its (U.S.) tagging of the Philippines as the second front for U.S. military
aggression."

Bowden, whose film credits include "Black Hawk Down" which
was also produced by Bruckheimer, is set to write the screenplay.

"Jihadists in Paradise" details the emergence in the Philippines
of the Abu Sayyaf and one of its leaders, Aldam Tilao also known as Abu
Sabaya.

Tilao put his group on the map in 2001 by sneaking by boat into an exclusive
diving resort on Palawan island in the western Philippines and taking
20 hostages, including three Americans.

One of the Americans, Guillermo Sobero, was beheaded and his body eaten
by wild animals on the southern Philippine island of Basilan.

The other Americans, a missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham and
the other hostages, were dragged across the jungles of Basilan for more
than a year.

Tilao was eventually tracked down and killed after a long search by the
CIA and Filipino military forces.

Since then, American troops have been providing training and civil works
assistance to Filipino troops hunting the Abu Sayyaf extremists in the
southern island of Jolo and Basilan.

The Abu Sayyaf have carried out the worst terror attacks in the country's
history, including mass kidnappings and bombings of Christians and foreign
targets.

The Philippine military scored a major victory recently in killing the
Abu Sayyaf's chief planner Abu Solaiman and its leader Khadaffy Janjalani.
By
Komfie Manalo

Kris:
Nobody can destroy our family

Is the marriage of Kris Aquino and James Yap headed for the rocks? Why?
Is it true that Kris "caught" James having an affair with another
girl? Or are they fighting over money matters? What’s the real score?

Last week when James made a surprise appearance on The Buzz to greet
Kris a happy birthday (Feb. 14), Kris gave him the cold-shoulder treatment
as witnessed by televiewers.

Yes, Kris and James do have some problems but Kris’ requested not to
reveal "anything" just yet. That was more than two weeks ago.

On Sunday on The Buzz, with an apparently repentant James later joining
her, Kris made a clean breast of it, putting all speculations and wild
guesses to rest ­ well, hopefully.

Which is just as well because additional stress is what Kris definitely
doesn’t need now that she’s into her sixth month of pregnancy (due to
deliver last week of May) with her and James’ first child (a boy, according
to the ultrasound).

With only a hint of tears welling in her eyes, Kris made the following
admission and confession (including her reaction that she’s not just a
wife but a "sugar mommy" to James), reproduced here as is, in
Taglish, as done on national television:

"...Maximum ng salary ng asawa ko, hawak ko po. Kinaklaro ko lang
‘yan kasi, with all the problems we had in the past month, hindi ko na-realized
na nasangkot na pala ang asawa ko sa ganoong bagay. Kasi, shielded ako,
eh. Kasi, hindi naman ako ang na-a-accuse, eh, di ba? Ang masakit lang,
parang lumalabas na kailangan ko bumili ng pag-ibig. Pero masakit para
sa isang lalaki na sabihin na wala siyang ginawa kundi umasa sa akin,
lalo na at maganda naman ang kabuhayan ng asawa ko at pinaghirapan niya
kung ano man mayroon siya ngayon.

"And now, doon sa hinihintay n’yo po... Inaamin ko na nagka-problema
kami... Inaamin kong nasaktan ako. Pero ganito po ‘yon, eh. In the past,
I have spoken very openly about my life because, No. 1) I have to defend
myself and, No. 2) mayroon akong mga bagay na kailangan ipaliwanag. Ngayon,
this is one instance na hindi ko kailangan i-defend ang sarili ko kasi
wala akong kasalanan. Asawa po ako, may pamilya kami, ako ‘yung nasaktan.

"So ano ang kailangan ko i-defend? Pangalawa, kung mayroon akong
dapat ipaliwanag, lahat po ng paliwanag ay naganap na sa loob ng tahanan
namin. Kasi, ‘yon ang pinakamasakit, eh. Lahat puede n’yo i-speculate,
lahat puede n’yo i-exaggerate. Pero ang katotohahan, the real pain occurs
between the two of us. Kasi lahat ng tao puedeng magbigay ng opinion tungkol
sa marriage namin. Pero let’s be honest, the only opinion that counts
about our marriage is James’ opinion and my opinion. Lahat ng paliwanag
na gusto kong marinig, narinig ko na sa kanya.

"Ang mas mahalaga doon, hinarap ni James ang pamilya ko. Hindi niya
tinalikuran ang dalawang kapatid ko kasi my two older sisters, sina Ate
Ballsy at si Pinky, masinsinan siyang kinausap. Hindi namin kinailangan
humarap sa ibang tao kasi nangyari ito sa loob ng pamilya namin. At siguro,
‘yan ang pagkaka-iba ngayon. Pamilya kami. Alam n’yo ho, it’s my decision
to stay married; it’s my decision to protect this marriage and to protect
my family. At kung sino man ang magtatangka na wasakin ang pamilya ko,
sinasabi ko na sa’yo, ‘At this point in my life, hindi kita papayagan
na mag-succeed... for the simple reason na mayroon kaming buhay na ipinapasok
sa mundong ito.’

"In less than three months, manganganak ako. Hindi ko na-experience
ang magkaroon ng buong pamilya. I was a year and a half nang makulong
ang daddy ko. Lumaki ako na hiwalay ang daddy ko sa amin. Lumaki si Joshua
(Her son by Phillip Salvador.) na wala rin siyang tatay. So bakit ko hahayaan
na ‘yung anak ko ngayon na may chance na magkaroon ng buong pamilya, hindi
ma-i-experience ‘yon?

"Sinasabi ko sa inyo, umaamin ako, there were moments in the past
few weeks that I wanted to give up. Kaya lang, I thought na kung mayroon
mang trial na dumarating ngayon, kung mayroong pagsubok at mayroong sakit,
may moments din namang naging maligaya kami.

"Humingi ng tawad ang asawa ko. Hindi ko sinasabing 100 percent
napatawad ko na, pero inunawa ko. Siguro, there’s the only instance in
my life that there’s a man who owned up to whatever mistakes he made.
At kung sino man ang magtsa-charge sa akin, kung may pamilya kayo, mauunawaan
ninyo na kahit sinong misis ay bibigyan ng pagkakataon ang asawa niya
dahil mahal niya ang asawa niya.

"Puede n’yo sabihin ngayon na humarap si Kris sa TV ngayon dahil
may mga advertising contract na pino-protektahan, may image na pino-protektahan.
Wala po. Kasi po, wala naman po akong na-violate na any morality clause.
Humarap po ako sa inyong lahat dahil kung ganitong klaseng program ang
hini-host ko, dapat naka-handa rin akong harapin ‘yung mga issue na tungkol
sa akin. Otherwise, wala akong karapatan to be a host of The Buzz.

"I told James, ‘This is a partnership, this is a marriage. I’m standing
by you.’ Walang ibang taong may karapatang husgahan siya; akin lang ang
karapatan na ‘yon."

When James joined Kris (and Boy Abunda who interviewed the couple), he
looked as meek as a lamb ­ a bit burdened with guilt?

Again, James asked for forgiveness as Kris looked at him with hardly
a hint of a smile.

"‘Yon nga," said James, "talagang nagka-problema kami,
so humihingi talaga ako ng tawad sa kanya at sinabi ko sa kanya na gagawin
ko ang lahat para mapatawad niya ako at dahil mahal na mahal ko ang asawa
ko, si Josh at ang magiging anak namin."

Continued Kris, "Nobody can destroy our family. Nobody has any right
to judge James and/or me."
By Ricky Lo