Mocha Uson denies calling Leni Robredo a cheater; explains controversial Facebook post

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Sexy star Mocha Uson made some clarifications about her controversial statement about Vice President-elect Leni Robredo on her Facebook page.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZ49DodNGCzmzwMXP-ARSjeWLUJ87ByAytOrYJ62zNyGf1Py4d9YKZGKsjcjaW12x8TYQQ6Xy0aCLJB1VYJxNP-FdChfXXb2OsgaZCGK4wxDy2gRGkXaWyCPQef0mcwvqEIstf6wQlS81/s1600/mocha-uson-leni-robredo.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mocha Uson" border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZ49DodNGCzmzwMXP-ARSjeWLUJ87ByAytOrYJ62zNyGf1Py4d9YKZGKsjcjaW12x8TYQQ6Xy0aCLJB1VYJxNP-FdChfXXb2OsgaZCGK4wxDy2gRGkXaWyCPQef0mcwvqEIstf6wQlS81/s1600/mocha-uson-leni-robredo.jpg" title="Mocha Uson" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Mocha Uson Blog</td></tr></tbody></table>The outspoken member of girl group Mocha Girls addressed supporters of the Camarines Sur solon, whom she called “yellow warriors,” after coming under fire for a post on Facebook regarding Robredo. In the controversial Facebook post, Uson warned Robredo that they will be watching over her. <br /><br />Uson also threatened the incoming vice president that Duterte Die Hard supporters (DDS) will be forced to remove her from the office if she will not support President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.<br /><br /><center><iframe allowtransparency="“true" frameborder="0" height="726" scrolling="no" src="https://web.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2FMochablogger%2Fposts%2F10154268519826522&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe></center><br />Because Uson was widely criticized for her statement about Robredo, the celebrity supporter of the Duterte-Cayetano tandem clarified some issues concerning her post.<br /><br />“Never ko sinabing nandaya si VP Leni. (I didn’t say that VP Leni cheated.) As a matter of fact I even said I respect the results of this election,” Uson wrote.<br /><br />Uson, who claims she doesn’t support Robredo nor her closest rival Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, repeatedly said her loyalty is with losing vice presidential aspirant Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. She also denied mentioning plan B in her statement.<br /><br />“I am not a supporter of BBM nor Leni because I still believe that Cayetano is the best VP for Pres. Duterte.”<br /><br />Although Uson respects the results of the elections, she said DDS will be watching over Robredo, who is a member of the Liberal Party.<br /><br />“Her loyalty should no longer be with Aquino, Roxas or to her Party. Her loyalty should be to our President Duterte and since you are the VP of our country, dapat ang katapatan mo ay sa bayan din (your loyalty should be to our nation).<br /><br />Towards the end of her post, Uson said that they will support Robredo if she will support Duterte.<br /><br /><center><iframe allowtransparency="“true" frameborder="0" height="689" scrolling="no" src="https://web.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2FMochablogger%2Fposts%2F10154271510111522&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe></center><br /><b>--Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

Mocha Uson denies calling Leni Robredo a cheater; explains controversial Facebook post

MANILA, Philippines - Sexy star Mocha Uson made some clarifications about her controversial statement about Vice President-elect Leni Robred...

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FORECAST: Robredo wins over Marcos in vice presidential race

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party (LP) bet Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo won the vice presidential race against Independent candidate Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. based on TheSummitExpress' total votes forecast including the remaining election returns (ERs) and results of overseas absentee voting (OAV).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNqW8SypTS8aKNfusR3FkR9XRWoqksCf-qNxj5QSPCLBbILpglktTX2zyXqX1VdyptTRHS2BpHZLgQ7tA4lEvOPRLLd7dGG3R0_vcanpEF2bYf9j2TiREgNs9nwTD6a0oTGzti0fNbVfP/s1600/robredo-marcos-vp-race.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robredo wins over Marcos in vice presidential race" border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNqW8SypTS8aKNfusR3FkR9XRWoqksCf-qNxj5QSPCLBbILpglktTX2zyXqX1VdyptTRHS2BpHZLgQ7tA4lEvOPRLLd7dGG3R0_vcanpEF2bYf9j2TiREgNs9nwTD6a0oTGzti0fNbVfP/s1600/robredo-marcos-vp-race.jpg" title="Robredo wins over Marcos in vice presidential race" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leni vs. BBM on vice presidential race. Photo Credit: Candidates' Facebook accounts</td></tr></tbody></table>In the probable vote counts (final, unofficial and giving full integrity to the results reflected on Comelec-GMA transparency server), <b>Robredo is expected to edge out Marcos by more than 200,000 votes</b>.<br /><br />As of 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, May 15, Robredo has 14,020,498 votes against 13,802,459 of Marcos or 218,039 lead in the race. The partial results represent 96.10-percent of the ERs (90,602 of 94,276 ) or (43,708,556 of 55,735,757 registered voters).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkQh5ptm_9I0wWLuxkoLzdQOOv-OfbWUCTqiqu7hWCIFsIUn1UUTNnar9oUjGwVMvz9GaZuNblbyXJ3i8Ldl3qttw_4Jg8f8L4WXLZi4y7p0ZqaG0Qof8VXUcFRFZNKEAdtMnO67KLMb_/s1600/vp-update15.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="VP update May 15" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkQh5ptm_9I0wWLuxkoLzdQOOv-OfbWUCTqiqu7hWCIFsIUn1UUTNnar9oUjGwVMvz9GaZuNblbyXJ3i8Ldl3qttw_4Jg8f8L4WXLZi4y7p0ZqaG0Qof8VXUcFRFZNKEAdtMnO67KLMb_/s1600/vp-update15.JPG" title="VP update May 15" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: GMA News</td></tr></tbody></table>On Saturday afternoon, results of OAV were posted online by Comelec Commissioner Rowena V. Guanzon. Marcos trounced Robredo by 86,734 votes. Overseas voting turnout set record of 31-percent (432,706 out of 1,376,067).<br /><br /><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">OAV votes all in but this will have to be audited yet. See pic <a href="https://t.co/abknRX0qca" rel="nofollow">pic.twitter.com/abknRX0qca</a></div>— Rowena V. Guanzon (@commrguanzon) <a href="https://twitter.com/commrguanzon/status/731412907230146560" rel="nofollow">May 14, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center><br /><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">Ok u spoiled kids here's the OAV breakdown.but subject to audit <a href="https://t.co/4q5Z4vEJWh" rel="nofollow">pic.twitter.com/4q5Z4vEJWh</a></div>— Rowena V. Guanzon (@commrguanzon) <a href="https://twitter.com/commrguanzon/status/731425685852446720" rel="nofollow">May 14, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center><br />Guanzon said that OAV votes will not be in the transparency server. It will be manually uploaded [<i>to the central server]</i>. <br /><br />The combined votes (PH partial and OAV) will cut the lead of Robredo to 131,305 votes.<br /><br />While the OAV counts are crucial to decide who will be the next vice president of the country, the remaining local votes that still to be transmitted to the Comelec server will be a big factor for the race.<br /><br />Comelec Chair Juan Andres “Andy” Bautista announced that the poll body’s voter turnout for the May 9 polls reached a historic 81.62 percent. Of the 55,735,757 million registered voters, about 45 million actually exercised their right of suffrage.<br /><br />The combined data from transparency server shows that 43,708,556 of local votes already counted. This adds to the 432,706 votes from OAV. The expected remaining votes stood at around 1.3 million votes.<br /><br />Based from the data of Inquirer for the <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/785553/list-areas-provinces-countries-transmit-2016-philippine-election-results" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">precincts left</a> until 100-percent transmission (as of May 13), the grand total of registered votes is around 1.2 million or can be translated to 1 million using 81.62-percent turnout.<br /><br />The Summit Express has calculated the most probable votes per province (areas have yet to transmit election returns) using the <a href="http://ph.rappler.com/elections/2016/results/map" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">results map of Rappler</a> (Who is Winning Where?) and the percentage votes of candidates based transmitted returns. The idea is demography has direct relation to the majority of the casted votes.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zUVVOtEbVK_2rYc6LLVtFhF4zwFwJDE9u9I212q2KgBxGu2RE_aEy69KWP70cdZJcT8Z_x4u9YchtS_fK7tx05LNCEaSblVMw4mNaPhGDOQfp4BO2fuebYRJegMBMr0-RiBL_FUmjhna/s1600/results-map-rappler.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rappler results map" border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zUVVOtEbVK_2rYc6LLVtFhF4zwFwJDE9u9I212q2KgBxGu2RE_aEy69KWP70cdZJcT8Z_x4u9YchtS_fK7tx05LNCEaSblVMw4mNaPhGDOQfp4BO2fuebYRJegMBMr0-RiBL_FUmjhna/s1600/results-map-rappler.JPG" title="Rappler results map" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rappler.com results map: Marcos won in Northern Luzon and Metro Manila while Robredo dominated in Southern Luzon, Visayas and portion of Mindanao.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Data analysis shows Robredo might get 366,402 as compared to Marcos' 287,638 total votes in the remaining precincts nationwide. The probable vote counts (PH final, unofficial including OAV) of Robredo and Marcos will climb to 14.48 and 14.27 million respectively.<br /><center><div class="infogram-embed" data-id="_/SuCzcfSSkIZWYLdwaAWs" data-title="Untitled chart" data-type="interactive"></div><script>!function(e,t,n,s){var i="InfogramEmbeds",o=e.getElementsByTagName(t),d=o[0],a=/^http:/.test(e.location)?"http:":"https:";if(/^\/{2}/.test(s)&&(s=a+s),window[i]&&window[i].initialized)window[i].process&&window[i].process();else if(!e.getElementById(n)){var r=e.createElement(t);r.async=1,r.id=n,r.src=s,d.parentNode.insertBefore(r,d)}}(document,"script","infogram-async","//e.infogr.am/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js");</script><div style="border-top: 1px solid #dadada; font-family: "arial important"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0 30px; padding: 8px 0; text-align: center;"><a href="https://infogr.am/9ad086b4-8393-41ad-9be4-df82b1185ed4" rel="nofollow" style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Leni vs. BBM VP race forecast</a><br /><a href="https://infogr.am/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank"></a></div></center><br />For transparency, here's the sample computation of votes:<br /><div style="display: block; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/doc/312633937/Precincts-Left-Until-100-Percent-Transmission?secret_password=IurypmF6Y0ccmNN75773" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" title="View Precincts Left Until 100 Percent Transmission on Scribd">Precincts Left Until 100 Percent Transmission</a> by <a href="https://www.scribd.com/user/137380979/TheSummitExpress" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" title="View TheSummitExpress's profile on Scribd">TheSummitExpress</a></div><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="1.2941176470588236" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_66922" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/312633937/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-D1m12HH0uI7FUi28fveG&show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe><br /><br />Reports said that official canvassing of votes for the presidential and vice-presidential election will most likely to start on May 25. It is the sole jurisdiction of the Congress sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, according to the poll body.<br /><br />Under the Constitution and the election law, there are two types of certificates of canvass (COCs) that Congress will use in its tally: the electronic certificates to be generated by the computerized consolidation and canvassing system and the manually accomplished COCs to be delivered by the provincial, city and special canvassing board to the Senate.<br /><br />Senate President Franklin Drilon could not give a timeframe on when the entire canvassing would be concluded, although they have until June 30 to proclaim a president and vice president.<br /><br /><i><b>Disclaimer</b>: The unofficial figures and sample computations above do not intend to create confusion, but it has a goal to give a quick analysis of the possible result of the vice presidential election.</i></div>

FORECAST: Robredo wins over Marcos in vice presidential race

MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party (LP) bet Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo won the vice presidential race against Independent candidate Se...

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Bongbong Marcos to supporters: "Thank you for keeping the faith"

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Despite the concerns he has raised over the results of the on-going quick count, Vice Presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. today said his volunteers and supporters deserve commendation for helping him in the campaign and keeping the faith as he fights for the integrity of the elections.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPDHibvqmOzQs9VpiTCGAliUaxoVzaflrDlb4f0dD1vSPeKTRYv44tPkyb_mS-7LGdpXwyWOREC1EwFtvdFAmutIN1PA81aue9jiAdWgZszDhmukjLvqAjXPGpkG9Afgj4u8CevoE85_y/s1600/BONGBONG-MARCOS.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bongbong Marcos to supporters: "Thank you for keeping the faith"" border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPDHibvqmOzQs9VpiTCGAliUaxoVzaflrDlb4f0dD1vSPeKTRYv44tPkyb_mS-7LGdpXwyWOREC1EwFtvdFAmutIN1PA81aue9jiAdWgZszDhmukjLvqAjXPGpkG9Afgj4u8CevoE85_y/s1600/BONGBONG-MARCOS.JPG" title="Bongbong Marcos to supporters: "Thank you for keeping the faith"" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Senator Bongbong Marcos thanks his supporters and volunteers amid the hotly contested vice presidential bid against Camarines Sur Cong. Leni Robredo. Photo Credit: Facebook/Bongbong Marcos</td></tr></tbody></table>"I want to profusely thank our volunteers and our supporters for their selfless act of giving their time and effort in helping ensure free, honest and credible elections," Marcos expressed.<br /><br />Marcos earlier urged the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to stop the on-going quick count of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) after reports that a script was introduced into the transparency server of the poll body that altered the hash codes without prior authorization of top Comelec officials. Marcos started to lose the lead shortly thereafter.<br /><br />Marcos said the prayers and words of encouragement of his volunteers and supporters nationwide continue to inspire him to keep on seeking the truth.<br /><br />"Ako'y nagpapasalamat sa mga suporta at sumusuporta pa rin, mga nagdasal at patuloy na nagdadasal at asahan po ninyo na kayo ang aking inspirasyon na patuloy na ipaglaban ang tunay na boto ng sambayanang Pilipino. Thank you for keeping the faith," he said.<br /><br />Marcos appealed for continued vigilance not only from his supporters but also from the election watchdogs as well, as he cited reports that as of Friday over 3,800 Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) still could not transmit election results.<br /><br /><b>RELATED STORY</b><br /><a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2016/05/comelec-election-results-2016-vice-president-partial-unofficial.html" rel="nofollow">Comelec Election Results 2016: Vice President partial, unofficial</a><br /><br />"With a considerable number of votes that have yet to be transmitted we have to remain vigilant, yet calm and sober, to ensure that the true will of the people will be reflected in the results of the elections," Marcos said.<br /><br />"A total of 555 VCMs from polling precincts in the Middle East and Africa still have to transmit results, 310 from North and Latin America, 339 from Asia and 152 from Europe. These VCMs should supposedly account for around 980,000 registered voters."<br /><br />"Likewise, 333 VCMs from Lanao del Sur still need to transmit election results, 207 from Surigao del Sur, 158 in Maguindanao and 160 in Sulu."<br /><br />"I will rest when I am satisfied that the results that are being counted, that are official, are actually validated by the results as we can certainty confirm it from local reports that we get from the different precincts," Marcos concluded.</div>

Bongbong Marcos to supporters: "Thank you for keeping the faith"

MANILA, Philippines - Despite the concerns he has raised over the results of the on-going quick count, Vice Presidential candidate Senator F...

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Melanie Marquez alleges cheating in vice presidential elections

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Beauty queen-actress Melanie Marquez, a known supporter of vice-presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., has alleged switching in the tally of votes between frontrunner Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo and Marcos for the vice-presidential race.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOJPWIVMWlFqN1QVXadBulQ7MnjrzrlBOzaG0jXUMsyFilyWitb1Hys4ZVos2lX7TT6-kNkOFBGA9KK61VuzNBKI0oaDBjQeEcokR3d4Gia2xS2tMmTKi5mM_08JSbEFxKak7a9vcFRYV/s1600/marquez-cheating-vice-president.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Melanie Marquez alleges cheating in vice presidential elections" border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOJPWIVMWlFqN1QVXadBulQ7MnjrzrlBOzaG0jXUMsyFilyWitb1Hys4ZVos2lX7TT6-kNkOFBGA9KK61VuzNBKI0oaDBjQeEcokR3d4Gia2xS2tMmTKi5mM_08JSbEFxKak7a9vcFRYV/s1600/marquez-cheating-vice-president.jpg" title="Melanie Marquez alleges cheating in vice presidential elections" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The former Miss International 1979 Melanie Marquez has claimed something fishy in the tally of votes in the vice-presidential race.</td></tr></tbody></table>The former Miss International 1979 repeatedly posted screen grabs of the tally of votes taken from elections.org.ph and GMA News website in her social media accounts. According to Marquez, the votes for Marcos and Robredo were switched in the partial and unofficial tally.<br /><br />While the tally from elections.org.ph shows that Marcos was leading with 12,999,399 votes and Robredo had 12,964,944 votes, the tally of votes from GMA News website showed that the votes for the two rivals were interchanged.<br /><br />In the caption of her Facebook post, Marquez wrote: “Itong simpleng tanong ko, na paki-explain ang pag-switch ng pangalan sa resulta at kung bakit ihahalal na Bise Presidente itong si Leni R..., e maliwanag pa sa buwan ang pandarayang ginawa nila!!”<br /><br /><b>RELATED STORIES</b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2016/05/comelec-election-results-2016-vice-president-partial-unofficial.html" rel="nofollow">Comelec Election Results 2016: Vice President partial, unofficial</a></li><li><a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2016/05/bbm-plan-b-allegation.html" rel="nofollow">Marcos supporters gather in Luneta amid Plan B allegation</a></li></ul><div><br />(Here’s a simple question. Can you explain the switching of names in the result and why we should vote Leni R as vice president when it’s very clear that cheating occurred?)<br /><br />Marquez also posted the screen grab in her Instagram account.<br /><br /><center><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;"><div style="padding: 8px;"><div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><div style="background: url(data:image/png; display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div></div><div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BFTJp4zp_6V/" rel="nofollow" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">SUCH A DISGUSTING & DECEITFUL BEHAVIOR OF HUMAN'S LIES OF GREED!</a></div><div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by Mimilanie Laurel Marquez (@melaniemarquez16) on <time datetime="2016-05-12T07:43:09+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">May 12, 2016 at 12:43am PDT</time></div></div></blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script></center><br />TV networks GMA News and CNN Philippines earlier apologized for mistakenly decreasing the vote count for Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero in a tally released saying it was a typographical error. However, GMA Network has not yet addressed the issue raised by Marquez as of this writing.<br /><br />The camp of Marcos has suspected poll cheating in the vice-presidential race after a change in the hash code of the transparency server coincided with the rise in Robredo’s votes. According to his lawyer, Atty. Francesca Huang, the change in the system resulted to increase in the votes for Robredo.<br /><br />However, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) quickly denied their claims saying that the “cosmetic” change in the program didn’t affect the integrity of the results.<br /><br /><b>--Mini, The Summit Express</b></div></div>

Melanie Marquez alleges cheating in vice presidential elections

MANILA, Philippines - Beauty queen-actress Melanie Marquez, a known supporter of vice-presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marco...

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Marcos supporters gather in Luneta amid Plan B allegation

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines- Amid cheating allegations against leading vice-presidential candidate Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, supporters of vice presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. have gathered at Rizal Park in Manila to express solidarity.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOINrTvXvC3Cr6g1DkhCzpRtH8QWuzpJaqFhNW-tMCFy1qpiv36gdazBz1k3UXySxSffwkKZLBCKJH1ycangnVeb4v-q5tTWBa-UNpjkZKUpc3QYXqHMoPj-oQyEmZ6y8S173VprTDvfH/s1600/bbm-planb.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr" border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOINrTvXvC3Cr6g1DkhCzpRtH8QWuzpJaqFhNW-tMCFy1qpiv36gdazBz1k3UXySxSffwkKZLBCKJH1ycangnVeb4v-q5tTWBa-UNpjkZKUpc3QYXqHMoPj-oQyEmZ6y8S173VprTDvfH/s1600/bbm-planb.jpg" title="Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr" /></a></div><br />Over 100 supporters, mostly wearing red shirts, came together after a plea urging Marcos’ supporters to “occupy Luneta” beginning 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 11 was posted on Facebook.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtwlOpryyu_gxg_uN8PYA4zP5Nx4D_ajlgx2mtINBikA6cPNILqtmWgDIZ8PUIZwg3vIkjs6sibnILKfnryVFh171KeABGO5QI7YNwxRxraUfLEkqnVTkCv7O3nLlmteUpIACyRHR9x75/s1600/bbm-plan-b2.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BBM supporters express solidarity as they occupy Luneta Park." border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtwlOpryyu_gxg_uN8PYA4zP5Nx4D_ajlgx2mtINBikA6cPNILqtmWgDIZ8PUIZwg3vIkjs6sibnILKfnryVFh171KeABGO5QI7YNwxRxraUfLEkqnVTkCv7O3nLlmteUpIACyRHR9x75/s1600/bbm-plan-b2.jpg" title="BBM supporters express solidarity as they occupy Luneta Park." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">BBM supporters express solidarity as they occupy Luneta Park. PHOTO CREDIT: Inquirer</td></tr></tbody></table>On Tuesday, May 10, Marcos alleged irregularities in the partial and unofficial counting of the votes for the vice-presidential race claiming that the Aquino administration’s plan B is in full swing.<br /><br />Marcos said: “Talagang yung napapag-usapan na Plan B ay mukhang talagang itinutuloy nila dahil iniiipit ang pag-transmit ng ibang mga boto na galing sa balwarte ko parang pinapalabas na nangunguna si Cong. Robredo.”<br /><br />(They are really pushing Plan B and they are preventing the transmission of votes from my stronghold to make it appear that Cong. Robredo is leading.)<br /><br />Earlier, the Ilocano lawmaker revealed Liberal Party’s alleged Plan B to ensure that President Benigno Aquino III will not end up in jail after the National Elections.<br /><br />“The Plan B is to ensure victory for Leni Robredo and remove Duterte via impeachment. In this way, Noynoy [the President’s nickname] and his minions will avoid being jailed,” Marcos revealed in a news conference.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Marcos’ running mate and losing presidential candidate Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago has also accused the administration of “manufacturing numbers” for Robredo.<br /><br /><div id="unruly_placeholder"></div>In a statement sent to reporters, Santiago said: “The roller coaster ride of vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. invites comparison with a garrison state. In such a state, the authoritarian government feels free to manufacture numbers as they are needed.”<br /><br />Political analyst Jan Robert Go, on the other hand, believes that there is no reason to doubt the vice presidential results if you trust the partial and unofficial presidential tally.<br /><br />Go explained: "When you put in the ballot, it (vote counting machine) reads the same ballot. The same machine receives the ballot ... And we have not heard of any complaints about the manifest in the receipts.”<br /><br /><b>--Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

Marcos supporters gather in Luneta amid Plan B allegation

MANILA, Philippines- Amid cheating allegations against leading vice-presidential candidate Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, supporters of vi...

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#LabanLeni: Robredo overtakes Marcos in VP race (May 10)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Camarines Sur Congresswoman Leni Robredo has overtaken early frontrunner Senator Bongbong Marcos in a close fight for a vice presidential seat early Tuesday, May 10, 2016.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFpzkouPS8bBy_DKNaHiBC7Onqq3YiMuISsGqrC5L-PC9XDdE5ge8JniRE60nlUxxNtFRXqcEJBiFsb4nhkEODQZxQmyKmuRt9RJm27bd7KQK9xDAHZWEcbS89YnWe_7vZbYAFlaSrgq9/s1600/robredo-marcos-vp-race.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=" Robredo overtakes Marcos in VP race (May 10)" border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFpzkouPS8bBy_DKNaHiBC7Onqq3YiMuISsGqrC5L-PC9XDdE5ge8JniRE60nlUxxNtFRXqcEJBiFsb4nhkEODQZxQmyKmuRt9RJm27bd7KQK9xDAHZWEcbS89YnWe_7vZbYAFlaSrgq9/s1600/robredo-marcos-vp-race.jpg" title=" Robredo overtakes Marcos in VP race (May 10)" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cong. Leni Robredo takes lead from Sen. Bongbong Marcos after 10 hours of counting.</td></tr></tbody></table>Robredo took the slight lead of less than 600 votes against Marcos, 12,860,722 and 12,860,147 votes respectively based on <a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2016/05/comelec-election-results-2016-vice-president-partial-unofficial.html" rel="nofollow">3:00 a.m. partial and unofficial counts</a> from the Commission on Election (Comelec) Transparency server.<br /><br />As of 6:29 a.m., the Liberal Party VP bet edged out Marcos with less than 80,000 votes, 13,108,167 and 13,032,667 accumulated votes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYrBS0ecmpQSYr0BjlqEEuE7OTCUqky3_5RUdfimoNGssneLb_-V5mrJd0QNRfFu-s0EyFN2d3ozZxP681Ar_55t6nr72nZi2McdL5wTfSsDyV0aPxPqcjyIHotmkrd_qdO4kD6jVxRxU/s1600/robredo-may10.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Robredo edged out Marcos with less than 80,000 votes (May 10)" border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYrBS0ecmpQSYr0BjlqEEuE7OTCUqky3_5RUdfimoNGssneLb_-V5mrJd0QNRfFu-s0EyFN2d3ozZxP681Ar_55t6nr72nZi2McdL5wTfSsDyV0aPxPqcjyIHotmkrd_qdO4kD6jVxRxU/s1600/robredo-may10.jpg" title="Robredo edged out Marcos with less than 80,000 votes (May 10)" /></a></div><br />Senator Alan Peter Cayetano ranked third with more than 5 million votes while Sen. Francis Escudero got around 4.5 million of votes. Trailing behind are Senators Antonio Trillanes and Gringo Honasan, each with around 700,000 votes.<br /><br />In the presidential race, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is in the lead with 15,014,824 votes, followed by Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas with 9,005,569 votes.<br /><b><br /></b> <b>#LabanLeni and #BBM4VP trended online</b><br /><br />After 10 hours of counting, Robredo took to Twitter to announce that votes from her bailiwicks, Bicol, Iloilo and ARMM, have started to come in.<br /><br /><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="tl">Umaarangkada na tayo!! Pumapasok na mga boto mula sa bailiwicks natin - Bicol, Iloilo, ARMM. <br /><br />Kaunting dasal pa, maipapanalo na natin ito.</div>— Leni Robredo (@lenirobredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/lenirobredo/status/729752736682500096" rel="nofollow">May 9, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center><br />Earlier, Robredo said that based on her camp's own quick count, she is confident that she will win.<br /><br />"Palapit na tayo. Ayon sa projections, mananalo tayo. Walang bibitiw. Sa huli, ang tama ang mananaig. Dasal pa tayo. ‪#‎LabanLeni,‬" she posted on Facebook.<br /><br />Supporters of Marcos also shared their support as "#BBM4VP" also trended on the microblogging site.</div>

#LabanLeni: Robredo overtakes Marcos in VP race (May 10)

MANILA, Philippines - Camarines Sur Congresswoman Leni Robredo has overtaken early frontrunner Senator Bongbong Marcos in a close fight for ...

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IN PHOTOS: VP Binay, Bongbong Marcos among the first to vote

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - The most awaited election day in the country finally arrived.<br /><br />Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. were among the top candidates to cast their votes early Monday, April 9.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjybrgBYhJF-UMXkoMUvAXatyr_6ICxAJ8VA58hRWk_DcfOsiFpnrJ38oZZVBJZRTebe4bISEZm-wsSXVJ7ZMiFBboukiz6Yr1X0Mm5NvsMV6EEgj9cKXPUMoUtIRMyyk-CABEeWzdR8P0/s1600/binay-marcos-first-to-vote.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="VP Binay, Bongbong Marcos among the first to vote" border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjybrgBYhJF-UMXkoMUvAXatyr_6ICxAJ8VA58hRWk_DcfOsiFpnrJ38oZZVBJZRTebe4bISEZm-wsSXVJ7ZMiFBboukiz6Yr1X0Mm5NvsMV6EEgj9cKXPUMoUtIRMyyk-CABEeWzdR8P0/s1600/binay-marcos-first-to-vote.jpg" title="VP Binay, Bongbong Marcos among the first to vote" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vice President Jejomar Binay (left) first to vote among presidential bets; Sen. Bongbong Marcos first to cast for VP.<br />Photo Credit: CNN Philippines (Binay) and Twitter/Bongbong Marcos</td></tr></tbody></table>The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) presidential bet Binay casted his vote at the San Antonio National High School in Makati City a little after 6:00 a.m (opening of precincts).<br /><br /><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">LOOK: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Binay?src=hash" rel="nofollow">#Binay</a> feeds ballot, reads receipt after voting <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VotePH2016?src=hash" rel="nofollow">#VotePH2016</a> <a href="https://t.co/C8JPhvT9l3" rel="nofollow">pic.twitter.com/C8JPhvT9l3</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/MJcayabyabINQ" rel="nofollow">@MJcayabyabINQ</a></div>— Inquirerdotnet (@inquirerdotnet) <a href="https://twitter.com/inquirerdotnet/status/729434405559767040" rel="nofollow">May 8, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center><br />Meanwhile, Marcos was at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Elementary School in Batac City, Ilocos Norte around six in the morning.<br /><br /><center><div class="video-wrapper"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="284" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TDFuJT_5-jU" width="504"></iframe></div></center><br />Other presidential candidates are expected to cast their votes anytime today.<br /><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Davo City Mayor Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte</b> - Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School in Matina Aplaya, Davao City</li><li><b>Sen. Grace Poe</b> - Sta. Lucia Elementary School in San Juan City</li><li><b>Liberal Party bet Manuel "Mar" Roxas II</b> - Rufina Andrada Santos Memorial School in Roxas City, Capiz</li><li><b>Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago</b> - La Vista Clubhouse in La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City</li></ul><br />As per reports, vice presidential candidates will vote at the following precincts:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano</b> - Sta. Teresa Elementary School in Bagumbayan, Taguig City</li><li><b>Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero</b> - Buhatan Elementary School in Sorsogon City, Sorsogon</li><li><b>Sen. Gringo Honasan</b> - Nativity of Our Lady Parish in Marikina City</li><li><b>Cong. Leni Robredo</b> - Tabuco Central School in Tabuco, Naga City</li><li><b>Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV</b> - Holy Infant Montessori Center in Caloocan City</li></ul><br />A total of 55 million Filipinos are eligible to vote on Monday polls but 100-percent turn-out is not expected.</div>

IN PHOTOS: VP Binay, Bongbong Marcos among the first to vote

MANILA, Philippines - The most awaited election day in the country finally arrived. Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Ferdinand "Bo...

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Duterte, Marcos and the Vindication of a Religious Endorsement

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Barely five decades ago, the Iglesia Ni Cristo's working class paved the way for the surge of modern Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). They were part of the pioneering force which opened a new portal for the economy to grow during the Marcos administration. It was during that time that the INC suddenly realized that its role isn't limited in declaring the word of God inside the walls of its "kapilyas" (chapels).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5eaDEoUAd8wgMt43lMbZgTqlbHSmI6dtbkNEMfx4EGgbyhHKP2QgJjsj6a0ndbyToS1OPWE3Ftenv0QNhUMyoKV5LDx93lNmXi09rgVglnV0e9LYJoEECr7AzBPxjID6Hqv8dnr8Kt4Ry/s1600/inc-bloc-voting-election-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="INC bloc voting election 2016" border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5eaDEoUAd8wgMt43lMbZgTqlbHSmI6dtbkNEMfx4EGgbyhHKP2QgJjsj6a0ndbyToS1OPWE3Ftenv0QNhUMyoKV5LDx93lNmXi09rgVglnV0e9LYJoEECr7AzBPxjID6Hqv8dnr8Kt4Ry/s1600/inc-bloc-voting-election-2016.jpg" title="INC bloc voting election 2016" /></a></div><br />From then on, it expanded its function as an influential economic propeller and political kingmaker. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilQnqlP0XYc_wnaWJYeWTteHX7iaWOyaMORsoGcgQH27TrfY1tZKmpI2rK2Zl_7GAF04D0SaTjxvxiy_vTrihFpSEskVnMnkBY44g3ki5gimFc22Tz7BAB_jPTRXMgs7qV9W-dAbFu6o4/s1600/duterte-fm-marcos.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Duterte publicly admits that he admires Marcos’ style of leadership." border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilQnqlP0XYc_wnaWJYeWTteHX7iaWOyaMORsoGcgQH27TrfY1tZKmpI2rK2Zl_7GAF04D0SaTjxvxiy_vTrihFpSEskVnMnkBY44g3ki5gimFc22Tz7BAB_jPTRXMgs7qV9W-dAbFu6o4/s1600/duterte-fm-marcos.jpg" title="Duterte publicly admits that he admires Marcos’ style of leadership." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Duterte publicly admits that he admires Marcos’ style of leadership. Photo credit: Philippine Star online</td></tr></tbody></table>Even the late President Ferdinand Marcos recognized it as he forged a strong relationship with the Manalo-led church. Today, that tie with the INC managed to transcend the realms of time as it finally threw its support to Senator Bongbong Marcos, the late strongman’s namesake and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the man who openly venerates the leadership style of the older Marcos.<br /><br /><b>INC’s Bloc-Voting Record</b><br /><br />Known for its almost solid bloc-voting practice, political analysts estimates that Duterte and Marcos can get as much as 80% of the almost two million registered INC voters. Just enough for their rivals to scramble in finding ways just to prevent their ascension to power.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fuzZTocFvOI5xDfuPuufyrS-vN9SgHc6GirOUVfgtKXX-1axHl-LSD05Xz7kkXCs7f24PXlT-rbIIhOxLMga1tJEsCKJEFTTlBV008rnFXGKnCzVRpiwanM2i50dvLK_4PynUc97qrh7/s1600/bongbong-leni-pilipinas-debates-vp.jpeg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Marcos will try to battle it out against administration bet Robredo on Monday" border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fuzZTocFvOI5xDfuPuufyrS-vN9SgHc6GirOUVfgtKXX-1axHl-LSD05Xz7kkXCs7f24PXlT-rbIIhOxLMga1tJEsCKJEFTTlBV008rnFXGKnCzVRpiwanM2i50dvLK_4PynUc97qrh7/s1600/bongbong-leni-pilipinas-debates-vp.jpeg" title="Marcos will try to battle it out against administration bet Robredo on Monday" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Marcos will try to battle it out against administration bet Robredo on Monday. Photo credit: CNN Philippines</td></tr></tbody></table>For its detractors, it is nothing but pure blind faith that drives the INC brethren in following the decision of the higher-ups in their church. But among its believers, the blessing of Ka Eduardo Manalo, the third-generation leader of the country's homegrown church is a highly coveted one. His anointment is providential to anyone who receives it. For them, the consecration of the church's head honcho is the manifestation of God's will, without it, there will be no unity.<br /><br />In a populist and highly religious country like the Philippines, media mileage, lording over surveys and nationwide political machinery are essential but acquiring the nod of a religious group can also make or break a candidacy. An endorsement is a validation of a candidate's qualifications and provides an advantage to outplay other runners.<br /><br />Although the INC has a smaller electorate compared to the Catholics in the country, the latter does not have any obligation to vote unanimously. Looking back, the INC's voting power underwent a series of trials prior to its emergence as a critical player today. <br /><br /><b>Changing of Allegiance</b><br /><br />As Marcos tried to consolidate his remaining strength to remain in power, the INC remained with him during the 1986 snap elections but a number of its followers voted to help catapult a Cory Aquino to the presidency. <br /><br />INC’s electoral power evidently diminished as the next 1992 presidential elections saw a protestant Fidel V. Ramos winning the presidency. INC’s favored candidate, Danding Cojuangco only placed in a dismal third after the crowd favorite Miriam Defensor-Santiago.<br /><br />However, INC took back its position as a kingmaker after supporting the eventual winner Joseph Estrada in a short-lived presidency. Anyway, Estrada was too popular that even in a crowded presidential race he managed to pull off an impressive number wherein with or without INC's backing, will still make him the 13th ruler of the land.<br /><br />2004 was truly the comeback of INC’s bloc-voting power when it chose to go with Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who narrowly won against action star Fernando Poe Jr. with an approximate 1.1 million or 3.48% vote margin. Taking note from the exit poll conducted that time by ABS-CBN and SWS, the members of Iglesia Ni Cristo comprised three percent of the voters that day. Had Poe’s camp managed to persuade Panfilo Lacson to withdraw to get INC's support and prevented the cheating in Maguindanao, Poe could have been the winner.<br /><br />INC was helpful for the INC to seal its stature as a must-have force after being instrumental in helping Aquino to extend his lead against Joseph Estrada and Manny Villar, solidifying his hold as the perennial winner.<br /><br /><b>Will Bloc-Voting Work on Monday?</b><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADiuOKRER3KhxmoG1pradAtkpKyMW4_BwYcbWEwleTQZrJP3lnqg1mrwzaGAUXgH8wBUSs5E2dClGICGJCu3iTDJSXX0Pdc_NhA3iS6K86eSM7TJlN0migxWEaNlF_t_nB49lrawMXMvV/s1600/duterte-manalo-inc.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Duterte meets with Iglesia Ni Cristo’s leader Ka Eduardo Manalo." border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADiuOKRER3KhxmoG1pradAtkpKyMW4_BwYcbWEwleTQZrJP3lnqg1mrwzaGAUXgH8wBUSs5E2dClGICGJCu3iTDJSXX0Pdc_NhA3iS6K86eSM7TJlN0migxWEaNlF_t_nB49lrawMXMvV/s1600/duterte-manalo-inc.jpg" title="Duterte meets with Iglesia Ni Cristo’s leader Ka Eduardo Manalo." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Duterte meets with Iglesia Ni Cristo’s leader Ka Eduardo Manalo. Photo credit: Eagle News Twitter account</td></tr></tbody></table>But the upcoming Monday showdown will be a different one. Duterte and Marcos will be banking on the support of an Iglesia that is yet to recover from the stigma of controversies that it has been trying to hush since last year. If the INC was able to deliver 74% for Arroyo and 84.8% for Aquino before, Duterte’s camp should expect a lower turnout.<br /><br />But despite this, the endorsement will surely bring greater momentum for Duterte’s supporters for the next two days as it just came right in a time where the mayor finally broke away with his rivals in the surveys. The INC’s declaration of support to Duterte can be taken as a confirmation that the mayor satisfactorily met the moral parameters and that he's the most qualified to do the job and will shield him from the final round of blitzkriegs that his opponents will try to be able to snatch votes from him. However, INC's support may or may not help Duterte to acquire the undecided and the swing voters depending on how these people see the INC in a post-Menorca exposé era.<br /><br />In the case of Marcos who is popular among the millennials, there's certainly no room to be confident. Because aside from the ten to twenty percent who doesn’t follow the bloc-voting style, not all INC voters are coming from the youth sector as some of them lived during the dark ages of his father’s regime which might go for other candidates or worst, vote for his closest rival Congresswoman Leni Robredo who is now the survey frontrunner. Take note on how the Roxas-Binay 2010 faceoff was concluded where Roxas was the frontrunner in the surveys before Binay took over and eventually staged a come-from-behind win. At that time, Roxas successfully got a commanding 86.4% of the INC votes whereas Binay only managed to collect 8.8% from the non-conformist INC voters. Binay's Cinderella title run can be repeated again by Robredo as the history of her performance in the past surveys mirrors that of the vice president.<br /><br />To those four who failed to get Manalo's precious "yes," there's still alternatives like Mike Velarde's El Shaddai and Joel Villanueva's Jesus is Lord Church. But undeniably, INC offers the most solid reputation in delivering hundreds of thousands to more than a million votes. <br /><br /><b>Vindication of the oppressed</b><br /><br />If there’s one thing that Duterte, Marcos and the INC has in common is that all of them are being perceived as the oppressed in their respective battles. Dutere’s foul mouth, the shadow of martial law following Marcos and the countless allegations of corruption inside the INC worked effectively to vilify them to the public, which could have been the deciding factor for the century-old church to back the two to whom they can relate their situation the most. With no record of betrayal from Marcos and Duterte, it was a flawless courtship indeed. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9lQVUvw5qmXm11mdSs_ktFuvvyFBjFYRu1K5_72EUk7GwVJNrO-aDf9NSCZsOeILdiBpBMPyOS1VVf7Qr2Jyy0KRTukP4AooA0MLZ12uKQr4Bdf_rD5kN2FukQ2QmGraIaQTIAdMfCap/s1600/duterte-marcos-interview.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Duterte and Marcos graciously entertains the press." border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9lQVUvw5qmXm11mdSs_ktFuvvyFBjFYRu1K5_72EUk7GwVJNrO-aDf9NSCZsOeILdiBpBMPyOS1VVf7Qr2Jyy0KRTukP4AooA0MLZ12uKQr4Bdf_rD5kN2FukQ2QmGraIaQTIAdMfCap/s1600/duterte-marcos-interview.jpg" title="Duterte and Marcos graciously entertains the press." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">All smiles. Duterte and Marcos graciously entertains the press. Photo credit: FHM Philippines online</td></tr></tbody></table>For Duterte, should he win, it will be a vindication of his character. A win will justify his shrewd boldness and frequent dropping of curse words in front of the media and large crowds. It will give him the authority to perpetuate the principles he thinks will quickly solve the country's woes, regardless of the consequences and dangers it may pose to the democracy and the people.<br /><br />For Marcos, it will be a vindication of their family name. A win will help their family to clean their tainted image. The Marcoses may use this opportunity to overhaul their reputation, to start anew, and bring a new Marcos leadership that will dismantle the remaining vestiges of dictatorship they were notoriously known for. Or they may use this to navigate themselves towards restoring ostentatious and corrupt governance that their enemies are claiming they are guilty for.<br /><br />The INC puts emphasis on its members to join together in the same mind and in the same judgment. The doctrine of unity serves as the cornerstone of its bloc-voting practice. This has been the prime justification that the INC members have been able to defend well over the past elections. Regardless if in full or not, INC’s support will play a significant role in this very tight race and will somehow aid it to restore order among its confused brethren.<br /><br /><b>--Michael Santiago, The Summit Express</b></div>

Duterte, Marcos and the Vindication of a Religious Endorsement

Barely five decades ago, the Iglesia Ni Cristo's working class paved the way for the surge of modern Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). Th...

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Duterte maintains wide lead in latest poll; Robredo, Marcos statistically tied in top spot

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines- Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is still the front-runner in the latest Pulse Asia Survey commissioned by ABS-CBN Corp. published on Wednesday, May 4.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dd4fE6WAJd4pA-c1njsucN8MkGqJuM__UQF5THfeE1OEKBK851CsuFcb9gstKu0eWxi_UPP3CgF3GENI5-wVrbelwSZpWyhYMNVpphrcKP0Ut5FzoY4ugMal_gYLI1g49dSGEUNGSG9o/s1600/duterte-lead-pulse-asia.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Duterte maintains wide lead in latest poll" border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dd4fE6WAJd4pA-c1njsucN8MkGqJuM__UQF5THfeE1OEKBK851CsuFcb9gstKu0eWxi_UPP3CgF3GENI5-wVrbelwSZpWyhYMNVpphrcKP0Ut5FzoY4ugMal_gYLI1g49dSGEUNGSG9o/s640/duterte-lead-pulse-asia.jpg" title="Duterte maintains wide lead in latest poll" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Mayor Duterte maintains wide lead over other presidential aspirants in the latest Pulse Asia Survey.<br />PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook/Rody Duterte</td></tr></tbody></table>The tough talking mayor maintained his lead with 33% rating for the second week in a row in the survey conducted from April 26 to 29 among 4,000 registered voters across the country. The survey had a margin of error of +/- 1.5%.<br /><br />Statistically tied at the second place were administration bet Manuel “Mar” Roxas II with 22% and Sen. Grace Poe with 21% ratings.<br /><br />Vice President Jejomar “Jojo Binay” and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago got 17% and 2% respectively. <br /><br />Meanwhile, Camarines Sur Representative Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo surged in the survey and now shares the top spot with Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Robredo has two percentage points lead with 30% of the votes over Marcos who obtained 28%. <br /><br />Former front-runner Francis “Chiz” Escudero ranked third with 18% followed by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano who obtained 15%. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV received 3% while Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan got 2%. According to Pulse Asia, 5% of the voters remain undecided.<br /><br />In the senatorial race, Senate President Franklin “Frank” Drilon emerged as the top choice after obtaining 47.8% of the votes.<br /><br />Other senatorial aspirants who have the statistical chance of winning were Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, former senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Panifilo “Ping” Lacson, Sarangani Congressman Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, former Akbayan Party List Congresswoman Risa Hontiveros, former TESDA Director General Emmanuel Villanueva, Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, former Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon, former DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima, Sen. Ralph Recto and Valenzuela Congressman Sherwin T. Gatchalian.<br /><b><br /></b><b>--Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

Duterte maintains wide lead in latest poll; Robredo, Marcos statistically tied in top spot

MANILA, Philippines- Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is still the front-runner in the latest Pulse Asia Survey commissioned by ABS-CBN Corp...

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Duterte widens lead; Robredo zooms to No. 1, tied with Marcos - SWS

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Despite drawing flak over his rape joke involving an Australian lay minister killed in a 1989 prison riot, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has pulled away in the presidential race, according to the latest BusinessWorld-Social Weather Stations (SWS) pre-election survey.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaPF7bzIAm0bXIBj4-IWXTiXAcBAaissZBnIie5ZcEkmWInYe0r0hA64QM6NBxkeswG1pMf6KaedwV16yrk4dRuub2iacna18DNxB6e38Kp_fDGlJiPiTvG8o8kFyAyodbfvanNSmzij2/s1600/duterte-robredo-marcos.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Duterte widens lead; Robredo zooms to No. 1, tied with Marcos" border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaPF7bzIAm0bXIBj4-IWXTiXAcBAaissZBnIie5ZcEkmWInYe0r0hA64QM6NBxkeswG1pMf6KaedwV16yrk4dRuub2iacna18DNxB6e38Kp_fDGlJiPiTvG8o8kFyAyodbfvanNSmzij2/s640/duterte-robredo-marcos.jpg" title="Duterte widens lead; Robredo zooms to No. 1, tied with Marcos" width="560" /></a></div><br />The survey which used sample size of 1,800 validated voters, conducted from April 18-20 (with sampling error margins of ±2 points) revealed that Duterte's voter preference rating rise to 33%. In the previous survey held on March 30-April 2, he had 27% rating.<br /><br />The Davao City Mayor's spokesperson Peter Tiu Laviña told BusinessWorld “this is most encouraging result given that the black propaganda against Duterte intensified during this period.”<br /><br />“This only affirms the strong clamor of our people for genuine change. Duterte has become a rallying symbol for all classes -- poor, middle and rich -- long fed up with ‘trapos’ messing up our country. We shall make use of the support of our people as inspiration to ensure their victory on May 9,” Mr. Laviña said in a text message, using the Filipino word for “rag” that has been adopted to refer to “traditional politicians”.<br /><br />Erstwhile frontrunner Sen. Grace Poe got 24% voter preference rating, up one percentage point from previous poll.<br /><br />Liberal Party's standard bearer Mar Roxas secured the third spot while Vice-President Jejomar Binay dropped to fourth place with 14%.<br /><br />Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is still in fifth place with 2%.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vAJzHZkMetNxoBR6_RejdxIyAkb9KHgxegAKlQwzEQfpUToFgF4kpUFTxtXrK3rgZVDyN-VVz-orynMM8BrctlmzKfW3i_YHKh5rH0bumr9BMXzkGxd99nhHctYyoi7o3USiPJKTgNt7/s1600/duterte-pulls-away.png" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Duterte pulls away in the latest SWS survey." border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vAJzHZkMetNxoBR6_RejdxIyAkb9KHgxegAKlQwzEQfpUToFgF4kpUFTxtXrK3rgZVDyN-VVz-orynMM8BrctlmzKfW3i_YHKh5rH0bumr9BMXzkGxd99nhHctYyoi7o3USiPJKTgNt7/s640/duterte-pulls-away.png" title="Duterte pulls away in the latest SWS survey." width="600" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duterte pulls away in the latest SWS survey. Photo Credit: BusinessWorldOnline</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>Robredro, Marcos tied for VP</b><br /><br />The widow of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo has gained significant numbers as compared to the previous poll.<br /><br />Leni Robredo zoomed to the top spot garnering 26% of votes, up by seven percent and in statistical tie with Senator Bongbong Marcos with 25%.<br /><br />Sen. Francis Escudero dropped to third place with 18%, followed by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano with 16%.<br /><br />Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV received 5%, while Sen. Gregorio Honasan II has a 2% voter preference rating.<br /><br /><b>Senatorial race</b><br /><br />The same survey also showed that reelectionist Senate President Franklin M. Drilon (LP) and Senator Vicente C. Sotto III (Nationalist People’s Coalition) are still in the running for the top two seats in the Senate out of the 12 up for grabs on May 9 polls.<br /><br />Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao managed to get the third spot, followed by Francis Pangilinan, Panfilo Lacson, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima, Joel Villanueva, Sergio Osmena III, and Richard Gordon.<br /><br />Reelectionist Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph G. Recto (LP) is tied at 12th-13th place with Valenzuela City 1st District Rep. Sherwin T. Gatchalian (NPC).</div>

Duterte widens lead; Robredo zooms to No. 1, tied with Marcos - SWS

MANILA, Philippines - Despite drawing flak over his rape joke involving an Australian lay minister killed in a 1989 prison riot, Davao City ...

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10 Things To Know About VP Candidate Bongbong Marcos

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Admit it or not, the vice presidential race won’t be making rounds all over if not for the controversies and controversial figures attached on it and one of them is Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. This election, the late dictator’s namesake will make an attempt to restore the lost glory of his family’s name.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhUsQFHq3OgJ32eTc4dBLfYEre6zL_qtgt4fOnKOcuVHD6BxaMe1niggG_KbeV-v55xDIYPP_UznksqM1XcCpp_YaRPcTy8XtohYkzIXAE80H2mWt5LtF4PW_yEC-15K01LTbeCtzYCAP/s1600/bbm-marcos-10-things-special-feature-jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="10 Things To Know About VP Candidate Bongbong Marcos" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhUsQFHq3OgJ32eTc4dBLfYEre6zL_qtgt4fOnKOcuVHD6BxaMe1niggG_KbeV-v55xDIYPP_UznksqM1XcCpp_YaRPcTy8XtohYkzIXAE80H2mWt5LtF4PW_yEC-15K01LTbeCtzYCAP/s400/bbm-marcos-10-things-special-feature-jpg.jpg" title="10 Things To Know About VP Candidate Bongbong Marcos" width="400" /></a></div><br />With the enormous support from the youth who mostly were born in the post martial law years, will it be enough to catapult another Marcos to a position that’s just a heartbeat away from the Malacañan?<br /><br />There’s more to his name, know some ten things about vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos:<br /><br /><b>1. A veteran in the legislative and executive branches of the government.</b><br /><br />Spanning a total of a quarter century, Marcos held various positions in the government as vice-governor and governor of Ilocos Norte, as congressman of the province's second district and as senator, making him one of the most experienced political figures of the current era with excellent track record in public service.<br /><br /><b>2. Authored the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines Law (Republic Act No. 9522).</b><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yPsxw8YLXWc7vDg6ZpVesOZwTPQOFB6munsV08F82-lsymJwfFlcKTGHhQJyNLbjFSY8ls1vuJKpFaD0FkdlgoL-m4P-Lx-ugD2ji6q9cN2eamksRTFRySvvT0rJnxoEoier_QFgtLYi/s1600/marcos-fm-bongbong-father-and-son.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bongbong will be an inch away from the presidency, a post that the older Marcos held for two decades." border="0" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yPsxw8YLXWc7vDg6ZpVesOZwTPQOFB6munsV08F82-lsymJwfFlcKTGHhQJyNLbjFSY8ls1vuJKpFaD0FkdlgoL-m4P-Lx-ugD2ji6q9cN2eamksRTFRySvvT0rJnxoEoier_QFgtLYi/s640/marcos-fm-bongbong-father-and-son.jpg" title="Bongbong will be an inch away from the presidency, a post that the older Marcos held for two decades." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Once elected, Bongbong will be an inch away from the presidency, a post that the older Marcos held for two decades. <br />Photo credit: Bongbong Marcos Facebook page</td></tr></tbody></table>While serving in the lower house of congress. The R.A. 9522 indicates the maritime jurisdiction of the Philippines which complies with the UNCLOS.<br /><br /><b>3.Transformed Ilocos Norte as first-class province.</b><br /><br />As three-term governor of the province from 1998-2007, Marcos intensively promoted the tourism of Ilocos Norte among local and foreign tourists, making the northern part of Luzon instrumental in pivoting the economy of the country as the province was able to acquire the attention of the global community in terms of generating profit and investments.<br /><br /><b>4. Yes to free market and passage of anti-dynasty law.</b><br /><br />Surprisingly, Marcos who comes from one of the most prominent political families in the Philippines voted "yes" for the passage of anti-dynasty law during the COMELEC organized vice presidential debate. The young Marcos even bragged his role in including an anti-dynasty provision in the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Law. Marcos is very much pursuant also to propel the country to a high performing free market economy.<br /><br />WATCH: Marcos’ opening statement during the VP debate (video courtesy of Inquirer.net Youtube account).<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JATHl79NrsM" width="560"></iframe></center><br /><b>5. For mitigation of climate change.</b><br /><br />When the Marcoses came back to local politics, it was Bongbong who helmed the beginning of Ilocos Norte as an energy sufficient province. It was during his term that the province was hailed as a pioneer of renewable energy by constructing the now famous Bangui wind farm. Even today, Marcos believes that the Philippines should do more to combat the effects of climate change.<br /><br /><b>6. For youth empowerment.</b><br /><br />Marcos pioneered the establishment of the Philippine Youth Commission in 1992. It was his first ever law that he authored upon taking his role in the House of Representatives. It allows the youth to take a more proactive approach in nation-building and honing the future of the Filipino youth as effective leaders.<br /><br /><b>7. Well-educated man.</b><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4IqqzfAYDfb13yaJHj4gls4bxGLodawePoKEP8H3U4UAInYGNWyS7fJv9Su9X5MSwy30k0rrA9Uf4Y7u1BhZ5SHUQCYAA2zn9TbCvNzMm3wuu9yl_GfnVOqPnmyGAVru_fsfIyeps_C9/s1600/college-young-bongbong-marcos-oxford.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Marcos attended the Oxford University." border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4IqqzfAYDfb13yaJHj4gls4bxGLodawePoKEP8H3U4UAInYGNWyS7fJv9Su9X5MSwy30k0rrA9Uf4Y7u1BhZ5SHUQCYAA2zn9TbCvNzMm3wuu9yl_GfnVOqPnmyGAVru_fsfIyeps_C9/s640/college-young-bongbong-marcos-oxford.jpg" title="Marcos attended the Oxford University." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Marcos attended the Oxford University. Photo credit: Bongbong Marcos online</td></tr></tbody></table>At a very young age, Marcos was envisioned by his family to take greater responsibilities for the country, thus providing him the opportunity to study overseas. Marcos graduated from the Oxford University with a Special Diploma in Social Studies. After that, he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business for an MBA program but failed to complete the said course as he had to come back to the Philippines to assume his post as Ilocos Norte's Vice Governor at a very young age of 23.<br /><br /><b>8. High performing senator.</b><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2qOuTg25LIW11QcbdoJ-Gedz1ZIwPc2mPDF1LZSGG5v0t2tF0gSxJPho-fhm7XVqLeuiLeBzMsl8gF5PXn4hL0r_ykngoXFwW96kOFcG4YptNE_vJLYzvo4QTeGldTOJ2vNZntJbeC_w/s1600/bongbong-marcos-senator-senate.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Marcos in action at the senate." border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2qOuTg25LIW11QcbdoJ-Gedz1ZIwPc2mPDF1LZSGG5v0t2tF0gSxJPho-fhm7XVqLeuiLeBzMsl8gF5PXn4hL0r_ykngoXFwW96kOFcG4YptNE_vJLYzvo4QTeGldTOJ2vNZntJbeC_w/s640/bongbong-marcos-senator-senate.jpg" title="Marcos in action at the senate." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Marcos in action at the senate. Photo credit: Senate of the Philippines online</td></tr></tbody></table>Marcos was the author of 34 senate bills and co-authored 17 other bills during his tenure as senator of the republic in the 15th congress. So far in the 16th congress, Marcos already authored 52 bills and co-authored four.<br /><br /><b>9. Values the role of farmers and teachers in the society.</b><br /><br />By dedicating majority of his Countryside Development Fund (CDF) while serving in the congress towards the establishment of cooperatives, Marcos’ gesture was significant to help the workers of the grassroots sector to improve their lives.<br /><br /><b>10. Loves books, movies, his kids and the Beatles.</b><br /><br />Like his fiercest rival Leni Robredo, the 57-year old lawmaker is a book and movie lover and also has three children namely Sandro, Simon and Vincent. On his free time however, the senator also loves to download and watch films aside from reading books. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxD_BxqbHYcWuTwS23fuQEQBUFG5XT1KS3LKb2jWxt1Paxd11FJUJeQ4-rHnSjh-GXIvM9j1RO4HR2h3RR3HyLYzuYt6RG-dQjuY0YquigGE8LBC3RlWfwvq5PdQEkRNN-1oFbqgRtTpil/s1600/bongbong-marcos-family.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bongbong with his sons Sandro, Simon and Vincent." border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxD_BxqbHYcWuTwS23fuQEQBUFG5XT1KS3LKb2jWxt1Paxd11FJUJeQ4-rHnSjh-GXIvM9j1RO4HR2h3RR3HyLYzuYt6RG-dQjuY0YquigGE8LBC3RlWfwvq5PdQEkRNN-1oFbqgRtTpil/s640/bongbong-marcos-family.jpg" title="Bongbong with his sons Sandro, Simon and Vincent." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Bongbong with his sons Sandro, Simon and Vincent. Photo credit: Bongbong Marcos online</td></tr></tbody></table>Another reason why Bongbong highly revered not only by Ilocanos but a sizeable population of the public is that he's as ordinary like them. Bongbong is a certified Beatle fan, claiming that he has the best collection of the band’s records prior to the EDSA uprising. He even invited Beatle icon Ringo Starr to come back to the Philippines to patch up things between the government and their group. Aside from that, Bongbong knows how to cook sinigang and pinakbet, signs of a bona fide Ilocano!<br /><br /><b>--Michael Santiago, The Summit Express</b></div></div>

10 Things To Know About VP Candidate Bongbong Marcos

Admit it or not, the vice presidential race won’t be making rounds all over if not for the controversies and controversial figures attached ...

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10 Things To Know About VP Candidate Leni Robredo

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">As the Filipino voters continues to scan the list of the qualifications of the six candidates vying for the second highest post of the land, the race to win the vice presidency has became more interesting than ever.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntehuRnwZMXA-rLoY2alDkd7V-PpSJvJvEFIG5QS39okBXGew5rb044I6SIEzPsVVaWAQheTLzSdnyFv1VYcDfmjvHF4r-OQ2TeVtM2aA2vhMEE54QNTKyVyY1r2CTEe8zK9ly1z6thuP/s1600/leni-robredo-10-things-special-feature.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="10 Things To Know About VP Candidate Leni Robredo" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntehuRnwZMXA-rLoY2alDkd7V-PpSJvJvEFIG5QS39okBXGew5rb044I6SIEzPsVVaWAQheTLzSdnyFv1VYcDfmjvHF4r-OQ2TeVtM2aA2vhMEE54QNTKyVyY1r2CTEe8zK9ly1z6thuP/s400/leni-robredo-10-things-special-feature.jpg" title="10 Things To Know About VP Candidate Leni Robredo" width="400" /></a></div><br />Are Filipinos ready for a second woman as their next vice president? Take a glimpse of Congresswoman Leni Robredo’s life and accomplishments by learning ten interesting facts about her.<br /><br /><b>1. Human rights lawyer.</b><br /><br />As how she always introduces herself, Robredo is just a newbie in the political arena. She's currently on her first term serving as the representative of the third district of Camarines Sur. While her track record in the legislature is just blossoming, Robredo has already proven her name in public service being a human rights lawyer for SALIGAN, an organization that offers free legal assistance to the poor.<br /><br /><b>2. Pushes for zero hunger, shared prosperity and gender equality.</b><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-gRs8goZCFDPtduY15livD1nWn209t9T6nNX_U6vrwNVait4-JjwGHIKi4LpFz5eJYN3eQ9irqH9AbFC-h55pZuBQPqAwYzGdDzmHhVJbsN381q6F2XEJgESqRxoMFO8ARayfRzGxtL6/s1600/pnoy-mar-leni-tuwid-na-daan.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robredo promises to continue and improve the “Daang Matuwid” governance. " border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-gRs8goZCFDPtduY15livD1nWn209t9T6nNX_U6vrwNVait4-JjwGHIKi4LpFz5eJYN3eQ9irqH9AbFC-h55pZuBQPqAwYzGdDzmHhVJbsN381q6F2XEJgESqRxoMFO8ARayfRzGxtL6/s640/pnoy-mar-leni-tuwid-na-daan.jpg" title="Robredo promises to continue and improve the “Daang Matuwid” governance. " width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Robredo promises to continue and improve the “Daang Matuwid” governance. <br />Photo credit: Noynoy Aquino Facebook page</td></tr></tbody></table>Part of Robredo's platform is to eradicate hunger, equal distribution of wealth and opportunities all over the country not only in Metro Manila and selected big cities. As a woman and a mother of three, Robredo is aiming for gender equality, allowing women to get equal access to opportunities and enabling people from all walks of life to participate in policy making in their communities.<br /><br /><b>3. Against political dynasties and death penalty.</b><br /><br />Death penalty is not a cure for crime according to Robredo, citing the accomplishments that the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo had accomplished during his tenure as mayor of Naga City. Robredo also wants to put an end in the political dynasty system in the country’s political structure.<br /><br /><b>4. Yes to Freedom of Information Bill, no to contractualization.</b><br /><b><br /></b> Leni Robredo comes from a simple background prior to her ascendancy to power and fame (video courtesy of CNN Philippines.)<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6UvWLebS8KI" width="560"></iframe></center><br />Although Robredo is proposing a "supply-driven" version of FOI to be passed as this will make the government to compulsory provide information of its transactions to the public. Also, she wants to pass the Security of Tenure Bill that will improve the working condition of ordinary workers by halting the long-time practice of contractualization in the workforce. <br /><br /><b>5. An ordinary commuter advocating for "tsinelas leadership."</b><br /><br />Probably what makes Robredo a standout among her rivals in the VP post is that she truly embodies how it’s like to be an ordinary public servant by taking public transport whenever she goes to and from Manila or Naga.<br /><br />She is also known wearing her trademark tsinelas footwear whenever she visits her constituents on her district every week as she believes that she should always have a regular interaction with her people to know their needs.<br /><br /><b>6. Sudoku lover.</b><br /><b><br /></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg09LLvy3k7n_FyRRWmKKU8h2WsagkzlugdT3nKjjCqKS7a2hvI9SvlQV-7qPKZUHuirxBUv5ybF5Dz1z704m8UNG-br5b1VM4S3Uls9J7mt-4mTqzgB9-3EFrsyM_9mHyW3S9mgUZ54Sr/s1600/leni-robredo-family.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Leni with her daughters, Jillian, Tricia and Aika. " border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg09LLvy3k7n_FyRRWmKKU8h2WsagkzlugdT3nKjjCqKS7a2hvI9SvlQV-7qPKZUHuirxBUv5ybF5Dz1z704m8UNG-br5b1VM4S3Uls9J7mt-4mTqzgB9-3EFrsyM_9mHyW3S9mgUZ54Sr/s400/leni-robredo-family.jpg" title="Leni with her daughters, Jillian, Tricia and Aika. " width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Leni with her daughters, Jillian, Tricia and Aika. <br />Photo credit: Modern Filipina Magazine online</td></tr></tbody></table>Aside from patronizing the works of famous authors like Tom Clancy and John Grisham, Leni loves to play Sudoku game at home on her free time.<br /><br /><b>7. She could have been a judge.</b><br /><br />Prior to her husband's death, Robredo is almost an inch away from becoming a Regional Trial Court Judge just like her father, unfortunately, the untimely death of Jesse altered the course of her career which eventually pointed her to lead the third district of Camarines Sur in the congress.<br /><br /><b>8. PHP 8.03 million.</b><br /><b><br /></b> According to Robredo herself, she sees the outcome of the VP race favoring her (video courtesy of ABS-CBN News Youtube account.)<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MzeEI4wI0qg" width="560"></iframe></center><br />PHP 8.03 million was the total net worth that Robredo filed on her 2014 SALN, slightly lower than her PHP 8.29 million SALN that she initially filed upon assuming a seat in the congress in 2013. The 2014 figure made her the 49th poorest member of the House of Representatives.<br /><br /><b>9. Tea lover and hands-on mom.</b><br /><br />Green tea to be specific, Leni is known to be a frequent drinker of green tea every morning as she personally packs the things inside the bag of her youngest daughter, Jillian before she sends her to school. Leni also personally plans the itineraries of her family whenever they got the chance to go for out-of-town trips.<br /><br /><b>10. A constructive critic of the administration.</b><br /><br />The 51-year old congresswoman may have been the anointed one of President Aquino and the Liberal Party to assist their standard bearer Mar Roxas to continue the "Daang Matuwid" governance but Robredo has been vocal that aside from the laudable accomplishments of the Aquino administration, there are still more work to do, things to improve and errors that needs to be corrected like putting new faces to helm the disastrous Department of Transportation and Communication.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe2wpVB84kmnH3b0zLZwW0e7FRstJI6HKmISQ6x5pxbJ0SGq9njy-xDmscFodSw0wlck-fpS2yXiFPEeLgPruVSF65G59trXGPdEvTNojIFYzmXD4qzoum5lsEci3qXbjKbqo6A58V_Q8/s1600/leni-mar-tandem-liberal-party.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Robredo vows full support towards his running mate Roxas once they assume office." border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe2wpVB84kmnH3b0zLZwW0e7FRstJI6HKmISQ6x5pxbJ0SGq9njy-xDmscFodSw0wlck-fpS2yXiFPEeLgPruVSF65G59trXGPdEvTNojIFYzmXD4qzoum5lsEci3qXbjKbqo6A58V_Q8/s640/leni-mar-tandem-liberal-party.jpg" title="Robredo vows full support towards his running mate Roxas once they assume office." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Robredo vows full support towards his running mate Roxas once they assume office.<br />Photo credit: Leni Robredo Official Website</td></tr></tbody></table>Even when Roxas invited her to become his running mate, Robredo admitted to the media on some interviews that not all her positions on issues perfectly aligns well with Roxas' but stated that they were able to adjust well to each other’s vantage points.<br /><b><br /></b> <b>--Michael Santiago, The Summit Express</b></div>

10 Things To Know About VP Candidate Leni Robredo

As the Filipino voters continues to scan the list of the qualifications of the six candidates vying for the second highest post of the land,...

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LIVESTREAM: "Harapan ng Bise" VP Debate 2016 on ABS-CBN video

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - ABS-CBN’s “Harapan ng Bise,” the vice presidential debate happens today, April 17, 2016. Dubbed as the part two of the UST debate, candidates face off anew to help voters decide for May 9 general elections. The full livestream video will be available on this page.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGW6cS_72mSX3Zg9gRJZzXS_-5RUgHgeG3g28_AbNYoq7OzH41YVBamISuU2J4-8kQzlbrXQE-ZeN72bm2jfqRKuFrEY4vfoWicllU3uvCNL56niDxcSxH3CTYOmzTOZdp669Ym98qRKn/s1600/Harapan-ng-Bise-ABS-CBN.png" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" "Harapan ng Bise" VP Debate 2016 on ABS-CBN video" border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGW6cS_72mSX3Zg9gRJZzXS_-5RUgHgeG3g28_AbNYoq7OzH41YVBamISuU2J4-8kQzlbrXQE-ZeN72bm2jfqRKuFrEY4vfoWicllU3uvCNL56niDxcSxH3CTYOmzTOZdp669Ym98qRKn/s640/Harapan-ng-Bise-ABS-CBN.png" title=" "Harapan ng Bise" VP Debate 2016 on ABS-CBN video" width="560" /></a></div><br />The "Harapan ng Bise" debate, which airs live on ABS-CBN this Sunday from 5:30 P.M. to 7:30 p.m., will allow Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Sen. Chiz Escudero, Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Leni Robredo, and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV to talk about their platforms and stand on important issues. Sens. Gringo Honasan and Bongbong Marcos were also invited but could not make it to the debate due to a scheduling conflict.<br /><br /><b>Catch the livestream of "Harapan ng Bise" VP Debate 2016 here (ABS-CBNnews.com):</b><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="330" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dvcf5UaG7c4" width="600"></iframe></center><br />Note: The full video replay courtesy of ABS-CBN will be available also on this page.<br /><br />Meanwhile, here's the live Twitter feed of the second vice presidential debate for the 2016 elections:<br /><br /><center><a class="twitter-timeline" data-widget-id="721505661226393601" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HarapanBise" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#HarapanBise Tweets</a><br /><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+"://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script></center><br />The debate will be moderated by seasoned broadcast journalists Alvin Elchico and Lynda Jumilla. Viewers, meanwhile, will also get to ask the vice presidential candidates questions via social media correspondent Gretchen Ho.<br /><br />In “Harapan ng Bise,” the vice presidential candidates will go through several rounds of debate on the most urgent national issues on jobs, health, crime, security and economy. They will also test each other’s opinions, and will be grilled by panelists composed of broadcast journalist Tina Monzon-Palma and political analysts Edna Co and Julio Teehankee.<br /><br />“Harapan ng Bise: The ABS-CBN Vice Presidential Debate” is part of ABS-CBN’s “Ipanalo Ang Pamilyang Pilipino” election campaign that encourages Filipinos to use their vote and uphold the interest and welfare of their families.<br /><br />On April 24, the third and final leg of PiliPinas Debates 2016, the Towh Hall presidential debate will be held at the University of Pangasinan with media sponsors ABS-CBN and Manila Bulletin.</div>

LIVESTREAM: "Harapan ng Bise" VP Debate 2016 on ABS-CBN video

MANILA, Philippines - ABS-CBN’s “Harapan ng Bise,” the vice presidential debate happens today, April 17, 2016. Dubbed as the part two of the...

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Duterte overtakes Poe in new Pulse Asia survey, Marcos claims lead for VP

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte has overtaken consistent front-runner Senator Grace Poe in the new pre-electoral national survey conducted by Pulse Asia and commissioned by broadcast giant ABS-CBN.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kfWq8lYOHTDr1ZGvakvhV2nXeEak1SLJRiFZ0DtW6wCbM-ioomHKuIb8fs4sSreB7V_g3ySjO9bHGwZKurXVctnxLCbTeW47VjJZHuwPI5ykVKAT6BNrC01eTgVAngvtx0YAJkQuzttW/s1600/duterte-marcos.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (left) tops presidential race; Senator Bongbong Marcos takes lead for VP." border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kfWq8lYOHTDr1ZGvakvhV2nXeEak1SLJRiFZ0DtW6wCbM-ioomHKuIb8fs4sSreB7V_g3ySjO9bHGwZKurXVctnxLCbTeW47VjJZHuwPI5ykVKAT6BNrC01eTgVAngvtx0YAJkQuzttW/s640/duterte-marcos.jpg" title="Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (left) tops presidential race; Senator Bongbong Marcos takes lead for VP." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (left) tops presidential race; Senator Bongbong Marcos takes lead for VP.</td></tr></tbody></table>Pulse Asia on Tuesday, April 12, said they used using face-to-face interviews to 4,000 registered voters during the survey fieldwork from March 29 – April 3. The research firm said the nationwide survey has a ± 1.5% error margin at the 95% confidence level.<br /><br />If the May 2016 elections were held during the survey period, 30% of Filipino registered voters would elect Duterte as the country’s next president.<br /><br />Poe has been relegated to second place (25%) while Vice-President Jejomar C. Binay and former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel A. Roxas II find themselves statistically tied for third place (20% and 19%, respectively). <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nUMNlMiCNgivByeZahHbOkVyTG5uFgVzG3Kw2ZQTb9cVgRmdwszKd1JAPg-IYCpPl9geZYFPMYECO4txkMDy3lPoJHq6hPVB0BK5Dxm4ph11-Q3dHt5caXu_TZbBVAzG_yqNhP4gRWbi/s1600/duterte-top1.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Duterte leads presidential race" border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nUMNlMiCNgivByeZahHbOkVyTG5uFgVzG3Kw2ZQTb9cVgRmdwszKd1JAPg-IYCpPl9geZYFPMYECO4txkMDy3lPoJHq6hPVB0BK5Dxm4ph11-Q3dHt5caXu_TZbBVAzG_yqNhP4gRWbi/s640/duterte-top1.JPG" title="Duterte leads presidential race" width="560" /></a></div><br />Only 2% of registered voters choose to support Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s presidential bid.<br /><br />In terms of second-choice voter preference, Poe leads with 31%. Binay registers the second highest second- choice voter preference of 19%.<br /><br />Pulse Asia said that almost two (2) out of every 10 registered voters with a first choice for president (17%) do not have an alternative candidate for the post. Senator Poe has the most to gain should Davao City Mayor Duterte not pursue his candidacy as 41% of his original voters name her as their alternative presidential candidate.<br /><br /><b>BBM leads vice presidential race</b><br /><br />With 28% of registered voters naming him as their original candidate for vice-president, Senator Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. leads the vice-presidential race.<br /><br />Sharing second place are Camarines Sur Representative Maria Leonor G. Robredo (22%) and Senator Francis Escudero (21%). Moreover, 15% support the candidacy of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, 5% favor Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, and 4% back Senator Gregorio Honasan II. Only 5% of registered voters do not name a favored vice-presidential candidate. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsaIdBx5lQS9yp35WLPzZSoEdZcQvwbj5zRU7gOcf92XWoWc6Ze7E7CnWY_z80xqDiGkCVQyHA-Vk_ewnQotujAVk-0SyV3qFnUpU1r8xJI-yAO0nK9WjOP3zuEQ1IH0GmoDQ3GmfBovo/s1600/marcos-top1-pulse.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BBM leads vice presidential race" border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsaIdBx5lQS9yp35WLPzZSoEdZcQvwbj5zRU7gOcf92XWoWc6Ze7E7CnWY_z80xqDiGkCVQyHA-Vk_ewnQotujAVk-0SyV3qFnUpU1r8xJI-yAO0nK9WjOP3zuEQ1IH0GmoDQ3GmfBovo/s640/marcos-top1-pulse.JPG" title="BBM leads vice presidential race" width="560" /></a></div><br /><b>12 probable winners in the May 2016 senatorial elections</b><br /><br />Of the 50 senatorial candidates in the coming elections, 12 have a statistical chance of making it to the winners’ circle.<br /><br />Among these probable winners, five (5) are running under the Liberal Party (LP), four (4) are independent candidates, and the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), and Akbayan all have a candidate each. <br /><br />Leading the list of probable winners are Senator Vicente Sotto III (49.4%) and Senate President Franklin M. Drilon (48.9%), both of whom are ranked 1st to 2nd.<br /><br />Among the other candidates with a statistical chance of winning are: (1) former Senator Francis N. Pangilinan (45.0%, 3rd to 4th places); (2) former Senator Panfilo M. Lacson (43.9%, 3rd to 4th places) and (3) former Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri (37.3%, 5th to 6th places).<br /><br />Also included in the list are: (4) former Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila M. de Lima (36.5%, 5th to 9th places); (5) Senator Sergio Osmena III (34.1%, 6th to 12th places); (6) Senator Ralph Recto (34.0%, 6th to 12th places); (7) Sarangani Representative Emmanuel Pacquiao (33.6%, 6th to 12th places); (8) former Senator Richard Gordon (32.6%, 7th to 12th places); (9) former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Emmanuel Villanueva (32.3%, 7th to 12th places); and (10) former Akbayan Party List Representative Risa Hontiveros (32.1%, 7th to 12th places).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihf7fOsLuUv-AGxYOrlNJJ_DxWi2-4KR_h9vqYZUl7Pm6euKNuDa-nvMVYdz-aATJUZb7wwAnzlUpT9-cq4Im9ujwH5Pbh9j9q0GIpZ6HdhS83cEwqy7q5uyUk-iuGW4aNjGr1vRDPrDmD/s1600/top-12-senators.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="top 12 senators" border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihf7fOsLuUv-AGxYOrlNJJ_DxWi2-4KR_h9vqYZUl7Pm6euKNuDa-nvMVYdz-aATJUZb7wwAnzlUpT9-cq4Im9ujwH5Pbh9j9q0GIpZ6HdhS83cEwqy7q5uyUk-iuGW4aNjGr1vRDPrDmD/s640/top-12-senators.JPG" title="top 12 senators" width="560" /></a></div><br /></div>

Duterte overtakes Poe in new Pulse Asia survey, Marcos claims lead for VP

MANILA, Philippines - Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte has overtaken consistent front-runner Senator Grace Poe in the new pre-electoral n...

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WINNERS AND LOSERS: The PiliPinas 2016 Vice Presidential Debate

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Better than Pacquiao-Bradley. That’s how the recently vice presidential debate organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last Sunday, April 10 went on.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bP5BqAAHVxcAnYhogViCx5tsJlFcMBEmdXKYNVFvDq6zMDFfzrJ6agFDsomYdYV3vGr9t8tjfBRcEWUB_ALkpedplv7yCSi2mzjjkQczfiVNSIc9cZ0OFRUxWqmq01TnLuuyslVaehBO/s1600/vice-presidential-candidates-pilipinas-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bP5BqAAHVxcAnYhogViCx5tsJlFcMBEmdXKYNVFvDq6zMDFfzrJ6agFDsomYdYV3vGr9t8tjfBRcEWUB_ALkpedplv7yCSi2mzjjkQczfiVNSIc9cZ0OFRUxWqmq01TnLuuyslVaehBO/s640/vice-presidential-candidates-pilipinas-2016.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">The VP aspirants pose for a short pictorial upon entering the premises of the UST Gymnasium. <br />Photo credit: Philipine Star online</td></tr></tbody></table>The overflowing trading of barbs against each other even made the lone vice presidential debate a standout compared to the previously held presidential debates as observed by netizens and political analysts. As it meaty as it can gets, the gymnasium of the University of Santo Tomas was jam-packed with supporters of the six candidates aiming for the second highest post in the land.<br /><br />With issues ranging from corruption, poverty, economic growth, political dynasties, human rights abuses, Mindanao, crime eradication, transportation woes, foreign policy and even internet connection, the aspiring second-in-command leaders braved the challenge. Let’s see who were in and out during the debate:<br /><br /><b>WINNERS</b><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiY02yK-VPjB839Ok_CaEikTcgIS_lpACX-f61YJ9cKyPsypI9z-BNT6T6j3Ki5dLcaJPsK6hyiam8TbNcnZJIQaBTE9S8XKvRcsaazRvovY-_ukAyK6Pa0E3JnaFfZt5vKQMoyPR-I799/s1600/winners-vp-pilipinas-debates-2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="WINNERS: Cayetano, Marcos and Robredo nailed it last Sunday at the #PiliPinas2016 VP Debates" border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiY02yK-VPjB839Ok_CaEikTcgIS_lpACX-f61YJ9cKyPsypI9z-BNT6T6j3Ki5dLcaJPsK6hyiam8TbNcnZJIQaBTE9S8XKvRcsaazRvovY-_ukAyK6Pa0E3JnaFfZt5vKQMoyPR-I799/s640/winners-vp-pilipinas-debates-2016.JPG" title="WINNERS: Cayetano, Marcos and Robredo nailed it last Sunday at the #PiliPinas2016 VP Debates" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">WINNERS: Cayetano, Marcos and Robredo nailed it last Sunday at the #PiliPinas2016 VP Debates <br />Photo credit: CNN Philippines online</td></tr></tbody></table><b>1. “I cannot give what I do not have.” - Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.</b><br /><br />If Binay was the subject of mockery and intense castigation during the last presidential debate, it was the turn of the younger Marcos last Sunday as he was under siege from his fellow candidates. The discussion on corruption alone went approximately for an hour giving Marcos longer media exposure albeit he became the subject of scrutiny. <br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CDEajffD8xc" width="560"></iframe></center><br />“I cannot apologize for anyone else, only myself and for what I have done.” – Bongbong on FM’s human rights violations. Source: Youtube online (ChampBlogs).<br /><br />Anyway, good or bad, Bongbong and his set of followers proved what his contemporaries doesn’t have, that the more he gets hurt, the more he is loved by his loyalists. The machinery of the Marcoses seems to be doing its work properly. Bongbong is truly made for politics but he just really needs to find a way on how to address the issues of corruption against his family and make unbelievers focus on his government platforms instead.<br /><br /><b>2. “It’s the political leadership that will win the day.” - Senator Allan Peter Cayetano</b><br /><br />Knowing that he only got one shot to impress the nation, Cayetano made sure that his voice will not only be heard but will resonate all throughout the program with his scathing remarks headed towards his fellow party-mate Senator Bongbong Marcos. <br /><br />Pitching federalism and strong political will to solve the country’s predicaments, Cayetano made sure that every minute that was allotted for him will make him a standout and he did. Cayetano remained aggressive in the entirety of the debate, alternately attacking Marcos, the Liberal Party, Aquino administration, Secretary Jun Abaya and of course, Vice President Binay who was at the audience. Although he made quite a good strategy to win the anti-Marcos crowd, his style can also spell the opposite come election day as Marcos is known to reverse any harmful elements to his campaign into an additional asset.<br /><br /><b>3. “Sa amin pong anim, may the best woman win!” - Congresswoman Leni Robredo</b><br /><br />She started softly but the unassuming Camarines Sur representative finally exposed her fierceness and delivered the now famous one-liner “May the best woman win,” implying the looming possibility of winning the election next month against his all-male rivals.<br /><br />Robredo exuded an aura of confidence and independence from his running mate, former DILG Secretary Mar Roxas by addressing issues with concrete answers and admitting that the current programs of the administration needs to be improved. Instead of making any reference of the works of her late husband Jesse Robredo to impress the crowd, Leni opted to share her own vision of good governance and brought with her solid figures of facts that supported her stance on the issues presented to her in which no other candidates that night did so much.<br /><br />Some may have hit the target but there’s the other half who could have done better during the debate.<br /><br /><b>1. “Bilang sundalo po at rebelde, paulit-ulit ko pong itinaya ang aking buhay.” - Senator Gregorio Honasan</b><br /><br />The former soldier and leader of coups in the past barely made his presence felt. His apparent composure and deep knowledge on issues solidified his name as one of the veterans of Philippine politics but failed to give outstanding views on issues hurdled on him.<br /><br />Standing in the podium, Honasan remained mum while his contemporaries were trying to outlast each other and was found by the audience as playing safe as he refrained from attacking them which is the name of the game in a highly publicized debate.<br /><br />If there’s one highly commendable on his performance that night, it’s the way how he centered on the safety and importance of the Filipino family and the right to live.<br /><br /><br /><b>2. “Ito po ay tungkol sa inyo, tungkol sa interes at kapakanan ninyo, hindi kung sino ang gwapo at maganda dito sa entablado.” - Senator Francis Escudero.</b><br /><b><br /></b> His proposed solutions to issues may have been commendable but it is undeniable that Escudero needs to step up in the game in the last four weeks of the campaign as his other rivals were able to pushed him out of the picture that night and are now catching up with him in the recent surveys. <br /><br />Escudero was clearly outshone by the Marcos-Cayetano and Marcos-Robredo clashes, which was very surprising given that the young senator had always that capability to attract the interest of the cameras and the public whenever he wants to in the past.<br /><br />Like Cayetano, Escudero also tried to remind the public that he is the solely, and officially the chosen running mate of Senator Grace Poe in this election as he tried to mention their tandem most of the time in the platform. This is not so good as the senator should’ve shown himself as more secured being Poe’s preferred partner rather than reiterating to the public that he is indeed her chosen one and not Trillanes who is offering himself as Poe’s alternative tandem.<br /><br /><b>3. "Ang kailangan po natin ay isang Vice President na buo ang tapang na haharap at babanggain sila." – Senator Antonio Trillanes III.</b><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W_XlNyIaw9w" width="560"></iframe></center><br />“Mag-create tayo ng autonomous regions one for central Mindanao and one for Basilan, Sulu & Tawi-Tawi.” Trillanes on Mindanao Source: Youtube online (ChampBlogs)<br /><br />He’s still the valiant rebel soldier that we knew from the last decade, but Trillanes seems to be losing steam on this campaign and we hope it is not because he failed to secure a presidential running mate.<br /><br />Known to be fiery and full of conviction, Trillanes was just like the Manny Pacquiao of the debate, perceived as a strong contender but failed to showcase such attribute in that three-hour long program. Instead, it was his fellow Nacionalista Sen. Cayetano who took that role that night, making him a mere second voice. <br /><br /><b>OTHER WINNERS AND LOSERS OF THE DEBATE</b><br /><br />The debate didn’t only put the candidates into the limelight but also acknowledged the other elements present in the program and here they are:<br /><br /><b>(Winner) CNN Philippines</b><br /><br />As compared to the previous two presidential debates, CNN Philippines presented a more sophisticated stage design and implemented a calmer but strict imposition of rules among the debaters.<br /><br />CNN Philippines also exuded its characteristic of being the country’s most globalized media outlet as it introduced some of the CNN’s notable news personalities overseas like CNN Asia Pacific Editor Andrew Stevens, to ask the candidates some questions that they need to address according to their proposed platforms. <br /><br /><b>(Winner) Pinky Webb</b><br /><br />The high caliber broadcast journalist who is making a comeback as CNN Philippines’ newest journo successfully passed her baptism of fire by being able to co-handle the debate with maintained composure. As she also headlines the network’s first Filipino-language newscast “Balitaan,” we expect Webb to bring more contribution to the network in terms of formulating its own distinct characteristic to the Filipino audience.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXFk_3a21eQ0r2NcWcza-1y5_PweZFZe6uYOaiuJadTG9IVT8FhK_WXrf8nvu0lD3AAVeNh2tA44va1TGaAeUtYwrrcZF7pVnqrQbX7B_X34F4RqGlBXsSZcReGArUEeqIyqGyt2DChQh/s1600/pilipinas-2016-vice-presidential-debate.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The VP aspirants tried to outsmart each other at the lone VP debate last Sunday." border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXFk_3a21eQ0r2NcWcza-1y5_PweZFZe6uYOaiuJadTG9IVT8FhK_WXrf8nvu0lD3AAVeNh2tA44va1TGaAeUtYwrrcZF7pVnqrQbX7B_X34F4RqGlBXsSZcReGArUEeqIyqGyt2DChQh/s640/pilipinas-2016-vice-presidential-debate.jpg" title="The VP aspirants tried to outsmart each other at the lone VP debate last Sunday." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">The VP aspirants tried to outsmart each other at the lone VP debate last Sunday at UST Gymansium.<br />Photo credit: GMA News TV Online</td></tr></tbody></table><b>(Loser) The live audience</b><br /><br />Although they added spice to the program, the uncalled jeering of the crowd against the rivals of their supported candidates was disturbing. It can be recalled that the unruly set of audience even started such taunting right at the beginning of the program while Marcos was just having his preliminary talk. Aside from that, the loud hissing of unwarranted comments every now and then just disrupts the airtime allotted for each candidate, making some points heard unclearly.<br /><br />For those who weren’t able to tuned in during the live event, here’s the full video of last Sunday’s debate.<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0hR_6DR0ToA" width="560"></iframe></center><br />What’s your opinion? Share it in our comment box!<br /><br /><b>- Michael Santiago, The Summit Express</b></div>

WINNERS AND LOSERS: The PiliPinas 2016 Vice Presidential Debate

MANILA, Philippines - Better than Pacquiao-Bradley. That’s how the recently vice presidential debate organized by the Commission on Election...

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