Posts tagged with COMELEC

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December 14, 2009

COMELEC should resume voters registration

This is the latest article I contributed for the BlogWatch project of the Philippine Online Chronicles.

A cornerstone principle and bedrock of our 1987 Constitution is that the Philippines is a republican and democratic state. One of the hallmarks of democracy is the people’s right to vote, a basic right upon which the fabric of any democracy is founded.

Last October 29, 2009, Kabataan Partylist, together with youth leaders from various organizations, along with prospective first-time voters, went to the Supreme Court to file a petition that, if granted by the Court, would urge the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to resume the registration of voters until January 9, 2010 from its self-imposed deadline of October 31, 2009.

The petition was based on two legal arguments. First, the October 31 deadline of the COMELEC is seventy (70) days short of the deadline prescribed by law under the Voters Registration Act of 1996. Second, for effectively amending the law by setting the deadline prior to the prescribed date, COMELEC usurped the legislative power of Congress.

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August 22, 2009

Isang Milyon, Isang Panata Launch

Isang Milyon, Isang Panata Launch Isang Milyon, Isang Panata Launch

With two months left before the Commission on Elections ends the continuing registration for new voters for the 2010 elections, and with only less than one million registrants out of the target five million new voters, Kabataan Partylist and the National Union of Students of the Philippines launched last Thursday, August 20, the Isang Milyon, Isang Panata campaign to rally and encourage the youth to participate in the upcoming elections. The program was held at a conference room in Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. Student representatives from different schools around Manila were present.

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May 15, 2009

Kabataan calls for vigilance vs. No-El scenario

“No-El would entail term extension for Arroyo”


Kabataan Party-list Rep. Mong Palatino today called on all Pinoy youth to practice “vigilance at all costs” as Comelec chairman Jose Melo expressed worries of a No-El scenario in 2010.

Palatino said that a No-El scenario would benefit only Malacanang as it would entail “virtual term extension for Pres. Arroyo and her administration”.

“We expect the Comelec to make good its promise of revealing the results of the bidding process for poll automation over the weekend. Continuous delay of bidding developments would make the process more vulnerable to No-El tactics by parties with term extension motives,” Palatino said.

Even before Melo expressed his fears, Palatino had already earlier warned of a No-El scenario caused by bidding delays, saying that the Comelec might not have enough time to pilot test automated machines which could possibly lead to election irregularities tantamount to a failure of elections scenario.

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