10 days to go; voter registration hours extended

MANILA, Philippines—With only 10 days before the deadline for registration of new voters in the May elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced it had extended registration hours amid fears 1 million Filipinos may not be able to cast ballots.

Starting Thursday until Oct. 30, Comelec field offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday to Saturday to enlist new voters.

On Oct. 31, the last day of registration, Comelec offices will be open until midnight.

Last week, the Comelec allowed registration on Sundays but only in typhoon-affected areas of Luzon.

Voters’ registration in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will run daily Mondays to Sundays from Oct. 19 to Oct. 31.

Wary of disenfranchising over a million new voters, Senators Richard Gordon, Alan Peter Cayetano and Francis Pangilinan urged the Comelec to end bottlenecks at registration centers.

At a budget hearing on Tuesday, Comelec Chair Jose Melo admitted that only 2.8 million of the 4 million new voters had registered so far.

“I’m seriously appalled that there seems to be a lack of a system in trying to speed up the registration process,” Gordon said.

Pangilinan proposed extending the registration hours from 7 p.m. to midnight.

“We have received a lot of reports that in many areas around the country, people are asked to return and to come back simply because they have a priority listing number (for the day),” Pangilinan said.

Estimates could be higher

Cayetano insisted that the number of new registrations, many of whom are first time voters, could be higher than earlier estimated by Comelec.

Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) chair Henrietta de Villa said last week that her group was optimistic it would be able to get the three million target registrants by Oct. 31 on top of the 2.8 million people who had registered.

Cayetano predicted that only about 200,000 people could register at the rate that the registration process was going on.

“So possibly 1 million would be disenfranchised. They would be cheated out of the opportunity to vote,” the senator said.

In Taguig City, only 70 to as high as 200 per day are allowed to register, he said, calling the attention of Comelec officials to the presence of a “VIP line” for supporters of Taguig Mayor Freddie Tiñga.

Cayetano said that other people were asked to come back after two or three days.

Last minute

“We expect around 500,000 people will come to register in the next 10 days,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez told reporters.

“We are aware that a lot of Filipinos choose to register at the last minute. So in order to accommodate them and to address the growing crowds at our field offices as we near the registration deadline, the Comelec en banc has ordered the extension of office hours in all registration centers nationwide. Registration is also extended until Sundays in calamity areas of Luzon,” Jimenez said.

62 additional machines

Jimenez also announced that the Comelec has deployed 62 additional data-capturing machines at Comelec field offices in 17 cities in Metro Manila.

“The reason why we are moving a little slowly is because there’s only one or two machines (per office) in some places which could record about 200 per day. But with the additional machines the number will jump,” he said.

Voters’ validation has been suspended “until further notice” so that Comelec could focus exclusively on the registration, Jimenez said.

He said that the Comelec’s latest updated tally in July stood at about 45 million registered voters.

“It’s somewhat smaller than what a lot of people expect. The reason for that is we have also been delisting ... We have already delisted several millions,” Jimenez said.

Remove biometrics

To speed up the process, Cayetano asked if the Comelec could remove the biometrics component of the registration process which captures information unique to individuals, including fingerprints, signatures and photos.

Of the 45.6 million voters, only 35 million of the old registrants have biometrics registration. The new registrants have biometrics.

“You can vote anyway even without the biometrics. Let them do the biometrics after the elections,” Cayetano said, explaining that the “thumb mark is not needed for the (automated) machine.”

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento found this “problematic,” pointing out that the law provides “a mandatory biometrics registration.”

By Dona Pazzibugan, Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091022-231560/10-days-to-go-voter-registration-hours-extended

Sec. Durano lobbies for Pinoy ‘hero’

The Department of Tourism is urging Filipinos to vote for Efren Peñaflorida as “CNN Hero of the Year” through the Internet. Peñaflorida recently made the elite list of top 10 finalists for this year’s CNN Hero of the Year for his Kariton Klasrum (Pushcart Classroom) initiative, which has been bringing education to poor children in the streets for 12 years.

“The time to celebrate Philippine heroism has been long overdue. This is our chance to share to the world the Filipino sense of selflessness, and to honor the little acts of kindness that we, his kababayans [compatriots], can very well take inspiration from,” Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said Tuesday.

“People like Efren remind us that our country is blessed not only with natural resources, but with true wonders such as individuals who dedicate their lives to heroic work,” Durano added.

Tourism officials said that Peñaflorida qualified to best some 9,000 nominees across the world, because he has brought the hope of education to children who would otherwise be loitering on the streets and joining urban gangs.

Eduardo Jarque Jr., Tourism undersecretary for planning and promotions, said, “Just as how Efren is bringing hope to the children of slum areas, let us also bring inspiration to people within and beyond our geographical borders by supporting one of our real-life heroes.”

How to vote

Filipinos from all over the world can vote for Peñaflorida by joining the online poll until November 18, 2009, through the web link http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes. His story can be accessed by online readers at http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/03/05/heroes.efren.penaflorida/index.html.

The CNN Hero of the Year is a search for “people driven to exceptional achievement in service to others.” This year’s search has six categories: Championing Children, Community Crusader, Defending the Planet, Medical Marvel, Protecting the Powerless and Young Marvel.

Peñaflorida is a nominee under the Championing Children category.

By Rommel C. Lontayao, Reporter

Source:

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/top-stories/4391-sec-durano-lobbies-for-pinoy-hero

Northern Luzon cut off from Manila, thousands need rescue

DAGUPAN, Pangasinan - Widespread flooding and landslides have isolated major population centers in northern Luzon, including Baguio, delaying outside help and forcing officials to rely on local resources to rescue and evacuate tens of thousands, many of whom were caught by surprise by the rapidly rising water.

"Sarado na po (They are closed)," Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino Jr. said in an interview on dzBB radio, referring to roads linking Pangasinan to Metro Manila. A provincial government spokesman said this morning that military choppers were leaving Manila for Pangasinan to help in the rescue effort.

"Pati mga rubber boats namin nagkabutas na," said Butch Velasco, the provincial spokesman. He said with daylight this morning, help from neighboring provinces was on the way. However, all of the provinces around Pangasinan were also badly affected, hampering their ability to assist each other.

With the roads to Pangasinan closed, all of the other Ilocos Region provinces of La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte are isolated from Manila.

The Cagayan Valley Region, which comprises the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela and Cagayan, has also been isolated from the rest of Luzon due to massive landslides along Makarlika Highway in the Caraballo Mountains.

According to Chief Supt. Roberto Damian, regional police director for Cagayan Valley, a big portion of the two-lane highway near Putlan Bridge leading to Dalton Pass on the side of Carranglan, Nueva Ecija has been washed out and may take days or weeks to repair.

The entire Cagayan Valley is isolated from other regions, said Damian, who added that the
link between the Cagayan and Ilocos Norte via Pagudpud has also been closed by landslides.

Roads to Baguio closed

Cordillera police regional director Senior Superintendent Fidel Posadas said Baguio City was also cut off from other parts of Luzon as three main roads leading to it were closed.

Posadas said these included Kennon Road, Naguilian Road and Marcos Highway. He said the Department of Public Works and Highways had been working overtime to clear the roads.

"Sarado ang three major thoroughfares pababa sa Baguio (The three major thoroughfares from Baguio are closed)," he said on dzBB radio.

The rest of the Cordilleras - Mountain Provinces, Ifugao, Abra, Apayao and Kalinga - were also isolated from other provinces, Posadas said.

Presidential Management Staff head Hermogenes Esperon Jr., who was on his way to his home province of Pangasinan, said buses and cargo trucks had trouble navigating through the floods.

"Ang problema paglusot from south to north papuntang Rosales. May bus din dito, cargo truck(The problem is heading for Rosales town in Pangasinan. There are some buses and cargo trucks stuck here)," he said.

But Esperon said at least four 6x6 military trucks carrying relief goods so far managed to get through the flooded roads.

Bus firms have suspended trips north, while passenger buses and cargo trucks have either turned back south or gotten stranded in the relentless rain and rising water.

Caught by surprise

Ironically, despite the worst disaster in recent memory here, only Storm Signal No. 1 was hoisted over the region, making some residents believe the storm would be relatively mild. But the warning system only predicts wind velocity and not rainfall.

With flood waters entering homes with the suddenness familiar to many Ondoy victims in Metro Manila, local authorities had little time to prepare for rescue and evacuation. The safest and driest place in Dagupan, Pangasinan's largest city, seems to be the indoor sports stadium here, the Fernandez Sports Complex (formerly known as Dagupan Astrodome), where nearly 400 evacuees were taken by local authorities.

But electricity is out in much of the city, including this venue. While the evacuees were given rice, there are no cooking facilities. "Kelangan din dito tubig kasi walang mainom (ang) mga bata. meron kagabi pero isang galon lang," said Sally Berot, 22, who is here with her husband and three small children.

She said they were able to bring most of their kids' clothes but these were soaked in the rain. Knee-high waters had entered their home in Barangay Malued when they decided to leave.

The sports stadium is teeming with children, including several infants, from 84 families that evacuated four barangays Malued, Pantal, Lasip-Brande and Poblacion Oeste in Dagupan.

Transfer to higher ground

An estimated 25,000 people now in evacuation centers in Pangasinan will be transferred to the elevated western part of this province, the provincial government said Friday morning.

Butch Velasco, provincial information officer, said the evacuation will be conducted later in the day after rescue operations in several low-lying areas.

Meanwhile, the 1,000 people widely reported to be stranded in SM Rosales are now being rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard, according to Lt. Col. Anyano Orap-Orap of the Philippine Army. Flood waters had risen rapidly in Rosales, sealing off their escape from the mall.

As of posting time, rescue teams from the SBMA (Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority) maritime group and Sual town are conducting rescue operations in Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Manaoag, Calasiao, Sta. Barbara and Mapandan municipalities.

A total of 30 towns and cities have been submerged with three to 10 feet of floodwaters since Pepeng made its third landfall on Thursday.

The affected areas are Aguilar, Basista, Urbiztondo, Bayambang, Calasiao, Mapandana, Sta. Barbara, Dagupan City, Manaoag, Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Alcala, Bautista, Binaloan, Laoac, Pozorrubio, Sison, Urdaneta City, Villasis, Asingan, Bulangao, Natividad, Rosales, San Manuel, San Nicolas, San Quintin, Sta. Maria, Tayug and Umingan.

Among the most affected areas are Natividad, Tayug, Asingan and Mangaldan with all the villages there heavily flooded.

Stubborn refusal to evacuate

Yet even as the massive evacuation was being undertaken, two municipal mayors have complained of the "hard-headedness" of some of their constituents.

In separate radio interviews, Mayors Nonato Abrenica Jr. (Villasis) and Ricardo Revita (Rosales) said they asked residents to leave their homes but many stubbornly refused.

"Ang problema may matigas ang ulo, may naiwan. Medyo matigas ang ulo, di nakinig sa atin(The problem is that many people were hardheaded and refused to heed my calls to evacuate their homes)," Abrenica said in an interview on dzBB radio.

The mayor said he ordered the police to conduct a forced evacuation but by then it was too late as water from nearby dams already flooded the town. As of early Friday, about 70 percent of the town was flooded.

"Sabi ko forced evacuation pero biglang dumating ang tubig (I ordered a forced evacuation but by then it was too late because the water came in too fast)," he said.

Abrenica said he was stranded on the town hall’s second floor, as the ground floor was already flooded.

Returning evacuees

In Rosales town, Mayor Revita said many residents evacuated at first, but returned to their homes after getting relief goods.

Revita said he heard many cries for help Thursday night but could not do anything about it as the town had only one working rubber boat.

"Nang nakuha ang relief (goods) nila nagbalikan sila sa bahay-bahay nila. Nang tumaas ang tubig wala na kaming magawa di sila maka-cross (When they got their relief goods, they went back to their homes. When the water rose, we could not do anything anymore)," he said.

"Nasabihan namin, di kami nagkulang sa tao. Ang advisory sa barangay captains ilikas ang tao along riverbanks of Agno. Umikot pa ako tatlong beses, lahat na nakasalubong ko sinabihan ko (We did our part. I told the village chiefs to tell those living near the riverbanks of Agno River to leave. I went around the area thrice, I told them personally to evacuate)," he added.

As of posting time, provincial administrator Rafael Baraan said the San Roque Dam is releasing 3,900 cubic meters per second, down from the 6,000 per cubic meter Thursday night.

Pangasinan Governor Espino said he has been pushing for preventive evacuation in areas near the Agno River since Sunday when it was announced that Pepeng might return to the country.

-JOHANNA CAMILLE SISANTE, GMANews.TV

10/09/2009 | 09:37 AM