Maguindanao Massacre death toll reached 57: The Worst Philippine Election related Violence

Maguindanao Massacre is now considered as the worst Philippine election related violence, and was condemned by the United Nations and the European Union.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the barbaric killing on 23 November 2009 of innocent civilians, including women, journalists and lawyers, who were preparing to participate in the electoral process in the Philippines," said Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU commissioner for external relations.

As of this moment, the death toll already reached 57 and Armed Forces public information chief Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said the retrieved bodies belonged to 22 females and 35 males.

The victims, more than 20 of them are journalists, were in a convoy traveling to Shariff Aguak town when kidnapped and later executed by armed men. The group was about to file the certificate of candidacy (COC) of Buluan vice mayor Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who is running for provincial governor in election 2010.

Genalyn Tiamzon-Mangudadatu, who is Toto's wife, and her sisters were among those killed.

Right now, the possible suspects of the gruesome killings were the powerful Ampatuan clan, a political rival of the Mangudadatus and a close ally of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Meanwhile, after the "arrest" of some suspects, Malacañang reminded concerned parties not to take the law into their hands. This call from Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita came hours after the Philippine National Police announced the arrest of some civilian volunteers linked to the crime. Ermita said they want to avoid a "rido" (blood feud) situation in Mindanao.

Ampatuan clan kicked out of Lakas-Kampi party

The administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD party last night kicked out three members of the powerful Ampatuan clan from its roster over their alleged involvement in the grisly Maguindanao massacre.

Ousted from the party were Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr.; his brother, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Zaldy Ampatuan; and their father, former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr.

The Ampatuans were expelled "for their failure to uphold party ideals and principles in their area of jurisdiction, specifically relating to the peaceful, legal, and democratic pursuit and exercise of political power," said party chairman and presidential bet, Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

Among the evidence investigators are looking into that could possibly link the Ampatuans to the massacre are the backhoe retrieved from the massacre site, on which the name Gov. Andal Ampatuan is printed; the phone call of Toto's wife, Genalyn, to her husband shortly before she was killed; and the statements of four witnesses in the custody of the Mangundadatus.

For more news and photos about Maguindanao Massacre, you can visit GMA News.TV

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Bayani Fernando leaves MMDA to run for President in Election 2010

Political Affairs Undersecretary Oscar Inocentes is the new MMDA interim chief. This was announced yesterday by Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, as Bayani Fernando resigned from his post last Friday to pursue his run for President in Election 2010 under an Independent party.

Earlier, Fernando left the administration’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD after Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr was selected as its standard bearer for 2010.

He lamented that no one spoke to him, not even President Arroyo. According to him, he is no longer interested in a party that does not value loyalty.

“There is no more reason to stay in a political party from which one cannot expect anything,” the former MMDA chief said. “Noon pa, ako ay interesado lang sa pagkapangulo. Di ko maitutulak ang aking advocacy sa ibang position (From the beginning I have been interested only in the presidency. I cannot pursue my advocacy from a lower post),” he added.

As of this moment, there are still on going talks as who will be his running mate.

“Maraming pakikipag-usap, iba’t ibang source sa ibang kandidato. (Pero) wala pang maihahayag ngayon, wala pang interesting na bagay (Talks are ongoing with camps of other candidates. But I have nothing interesting to report yet),” he said in an interview on dzBB radio.

Meanwhile, Inocentes is a former Quezon City judge and later served as a member of the GSIS board of trustees.

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Efren Peñaflorida: CNN Hero of the year 2009 is a Filipino

After more than 2.75 million votes casted, Efren Peñaflorida was chosen as the CNN Hero of the year 2009, and he is proud to be a Filipino. Efren, at the age of 16 started a "pushcart classroom" in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership.

As of 1997, an estimated 10,000 members have helped teach more than 1,500 children living in the slums. The organization supports its efforts by making and selling crafts and collecting items to recycle.



"Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry," Peñaflorida said upon accepting the honor. "Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.

"So to each and every person inside in this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers ... you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be."

The gala event, taped before an audience of 3,000 at the Kodak Theater, premieres on Thanksgiving, November 26, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the global networks of CNN. The broadcast, which honors the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009, features performances by Grammy Award-winning artist Carrie Underwood, R&B crooner Maxwell and British pop sensation Leona Lewis.

Peñaflorida who will receive $100,000 vows to continue his work with the Dynamic Teen Company, while each of the top 10 Heroes receives $25,000.

As a fellow Filipino, I am so happy that Efren made it as I am really expecting him to win. I know he deserve it, and he can be able to reach out to more children who are in need.

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How to Vote this coming Philippine Automated Election 2010

The Philippine election 2010 is fast approaching, and it will be the first fully automated election for us all Filipinos. Tomorrow, November 20 is the start of candidates to file their Certificate of Candidacy (COC) and we can expect most of them to file early.

Meanwhile, only a few of us already know how to use the voting machines. Although we are expecting Comelec later to release an Instruction Guide, below is a Quick Guide to the Automated Elections video that will at least give us an idea.

Most presidential candidates have also released their info ads, although it is obvious that they are already campaigning. Some of them has also chosen their running mate or vice president. As of this moment, we are even seeing some politicians transferring from one political party to another and I assume there will be more of them as time goes by.

With this, I hope all of us will exercise our right to vote and watch very strictly. Observe who among these candidates are truly capable of leading our country, and with a very strong political will in the real sense of the term.

Together, let us all be responsible enough to vote wisely since it will not only for us but also for the future generation.

If you have problems watching the video, you can visit Quick Guide to the Automated Elections.

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Loren Legarda for Vice President: Tandems with Manny Villar in Philippine Election 2010

Loren Legarda will run for Vice President. She will tandem with Manny Villar, as announced by Villar himself which was held at a press briefing yesterday held at his residence along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City.

The Nacionalista Party standard bearer said his choice of Legarda, a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), was not motivated by politics "but by a common vision for the country."

"Mga kababayan, karangalan kong ipakilala sa inyo ang bagong magtatanggol sa mahihirap at magtatangol sa kalikasan, si Senator Loren Legarda," Villar said.

(My countrymen, it is my honor to introduce to you a candidate who will work for the poor and the environment, Senator Loren Legarda.)

Legarda, wearing her signature white polo and jeans, took the opportunity to formally declare her vice presidential bid in next year's elections.

"Today I officially declare my candidacy as vice president in the May 2010 elections. I am running in tandem with the Nacionalista Party's Senator Manny Villar as presidential standard bearer," Loren Legarda said in her acceptance speech.

Exactly a year ago, Sen. Manny Villar Jr. resigned as Senate president amid rumors that his colleagues were intending to oust him. After he resigned, 14 of his colleagues voted to install Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile to the position. Loren Legarda was among the senators who voted for Enrile.

In the impeachment trial against former President Joseph Estrada in the Senate in January 2001, Legarda was among those in favor of opening the controversial “second envelope" containing supposed evidence that former President Estrada held a secret P3.3 billion bank account under the name “Jose Velarde."

However, in 2004, Legarda shifted her loyalty to the opposition and became the running mate of actor Fernando Poe Jr. in the national elections. The tandem lost to administration bets President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and then Senator Noli de Castro.

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Vilma Santos and Ralph Recto leaves Gibo and joined Noynoy

Batangas governor and Star for all Season Vilma Santos and husband former senator Ralph Recto leaves Gibo at Lakas-Kampi and joined Noynoy at Liberal Party.

Ralph Recto now joins former Senate President Franklin Drilon, Congressmen Rufino Biazon, Teofisto Guingona III, Nereus Acosta and Riza Hontiveros, former Senator Sergio Osmeña III, detained Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Sonia Roco in the LP senatorial line-up.

Meanwhile, Vilma Santos will seek reelection as governor of Batangas province.

For her part, Santos was among those considered for vice president of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party in which her fellow movie star and former husband Edu Manzano was recently chosen.

Lakas-Kampi Secretary General Gabriel Claudio said Santos and Recto informed the party beforehand that the couple were planning to join other parties, but he did not expect them to join LP because Recto was reportedly being considered by Senator Manuel Villar Nacionalista Party for its senatorial slate.

In addition, Lakas-Kampi vice president Prospero Pichay said he was expecting more members to bolt the party aside from the couple, especially those candidates that would not be supported by the Lakas leadership. He added that while the departure of the Recto couple was a loss to the party, the effect was small because Recto was not included in their senatorial line-up.

“It's a loss if actually they were supporting me from the start, but I really don’t know whether that's true or not," he said, adding that it would be unlikely for him to get a solid vote from his former colleagues in the Cabinet.

Instead of worrying, Lakas standard bearer Gibo Teodoro said the best thing that the party could do was to “get our teams together" in anticipating the negative impact that defections may inflict on the party.

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Pacquiao Cotto fight now on Pirated DVD

Yesterday, millions of boxing fans around the world watched the Pacquiao Cotto fight as Manny Pacquiao dominated the whole fight and beat Miguel Cotto with flying colors. Pacman has brought another honor to the Philippines when he set a new boxing record by being the first boxer to win seven titles from different divisions. This also proves that Pacquiao really deserves the title pound-for-pound king and one of the great boxers of all time.

While almost all of us were watching the fight, there were those who really need to work and was not able to watch. With all the glory and victory the Filipinos enjoy now, there are some who took advantage of the situation. Unfortunately, the Pacquiao Cotto fight is now on pirated DVD.

I realized this while a GMA 7 field reporter went to place where she saw a pirated copy, and interviewed a certain buyer. Take note that this is only a few hours after the said fight, and I am sure that there are also other places where pirated copies of the Pacquiao Cotto fight are available.

Actually, I already expected this but not this early. It seems that this disease is worst than H1 N1 and Dengue fever, which is really hard to cure. Obviously, the buyer could not show his face in front of the camera since this is really a shameful act. But what surprised me more is his claim that "all of us has the right to watch it". What a stupid answer!

While all of us are complaining about the corruption in the government and throwing stones to public officials, these sellers and buyers of pirated DVDs are exactly doing the same. We all know that piracy is one of the major reasons why our economy is getting worst, and I don't need to explain how. This is not only killing the entertainment industry, but also a great loss for artists, producers, and the staff.

With this, I just hope the next president will add more focus on this problem. But then, this is only NOT his responsibility but also to all of us. If we really want to help our economy grow, we should help to stop piracy.

And the best way to stop it is by not patronizing them. No matter how strict the law will be, there will always be piracy not unless we stop buying them.

If we really love our country, we should start now. To me, it only needs a political will.

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