The Wutz Up in the Philippines!

Six of nine Philippine presidential candidates may face disqualification after their campaign materials have reportedly exceeded size limits and were allegedly posted in areas where these are disallowed.

Several campaign materials of Senator Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III (Liberal Party), former president Joseph M. Ejercito Estrada (Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino-UNO), Senator Richard J. Gordon (Bagumbayan), Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. (Lakas-Kampi-CMD), evangelist Eddie C. Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas), and Senator Manuel Villar Jr. (Nacionalista Party) seem to violate campaign regulations, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson told reporters.

These candidates are facing possible disqualification for possible violation of rules covering campaign materials, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said, citing documentation collected by the body’s Education and Information Department (EID).

Campaign materials of vice presidential candidates Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay and former Metro Manila Development Authority chief Bayani Fernando and senatorial aspirants Senator Lito Lapid, Atty. JV Bautista, and broadcaster Rey Langit were also found to have breached the poll body’s restrictions.

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HACIENDA LUISITA, the Philippines — Like his father before him, Buenaventura Calaquian worked the sugar cane fields at Hacienda Luisita, a plantation owned by the family of former President Corazon C. Aquino. In the long-running, sometimes bloody battle over control of the land here, Mr. Calaquian, 58, has come out better than most.

For the last few years, he has illegally occupied 3.7 acres on which he cultivates rice and vegetables. He spends most days watching his fields from a makeshift shack whose thatched roof is patched with flattened cardboard boxes. Small profits from tomato sales have allowed him to buy 50 ducks that now swim in a nearby creek.

“I never want to go back to sugar cane,” Mr. Calaquian said as his wife, Maria, 46, used a single bucket to carry water from the creek over to several uneven rows of tomato vines. “This is better.”

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Despite the looming power crisis, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday stressed it has no plans of purchasing or leasing generator sets for the polling places come election day.

In an interview with reporters, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said that there is no need for the generators because voting on May 10 will run from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. — which will presumably have ample light even without electricity.

“We do not expect that there should be a need for generator sets at the precinct level because in general, the precincts will be well-lit because of the sunlight. Most of the election will be under natural light,” Jimenez said.

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President reportedly upset with PNP chief

MANILA, Philippines—Was that a snub?

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Thursday skipped the graduation ceremony of the Philippine National Police Academy in a show of displeasure over Director General Jesus Verzosa’s declaration that he would not support a move to extend her term, police sources told the Inquirer on condition of anonymity.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno instead represented Ms Arroyo, who flew to Sarangani, Lanao del Sur and Zamboanga del Sur to attend to concerns sparked by the prolonged El Niño dry spell, said Malacañang spokesperson Ricardo Saludo.

Ms Arroyo’s activities, however, had nothing to do with the drought—like welcoming a delegation of Indonesian businessmen, witnessing a signing ceremony and visiting a high school and public market, according to a Palace schedule.

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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can appoint the next chief justice, the Supreme Court said in a decision Wednesday, amid legal questions on whether the president can pick Justice Reynato Puno’s successor within a period of two months before her term ends.

In a special meeting, nine justices—Lucas Bersamin, Jose Perez, Roberto Abad, Martin Villarama, Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Arturo Brion, Jose Mendoza, Mariano del Castillo, and Diosdado Peralta—voted in favor of Mrs. Arroyo’s appointment of the next chief justice.

Only Associate Justice Conchita Carpio Morales gave a vote of dissent, while magistrates Eduardo Nachura and Presbitero Velasco Jr. said the case was premature.

Puno, Antonio Carpio, and Renato Corona inhibited themselves from voting. Carpio—the most senior magistrate—and Corona are the strongest contenders for the top judicial post.

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BRILLANTE MENDOZA’S “LOLA” WON the Grand Jury Prize in the World Competition of the 27th Miami International Film Festival held in the US city on March 13.

The film was awarded $25,000 from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The fest’s web site commended the film’s star, “cinema icon Anita Linda,” and its story for offering “an earnest, compassionate study of forgiveness and redemption.”

The RP film bested 13 other entries from countries as diverse as Russia, Brazil, China, Bolivia and the Netherlands.

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Puno designates Carpio acting Chief Justice

MANILA, Philippines—Reinterpreting the constitutional provision against an outgoing president’s so-called midnight appointments, the Supreme Court Wednesday gave President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo the authority to appoint the next Chief Justice.

Nine of the 15 justices voted to allow Ms Arroyo, who steps down from office on June 30, to appoint the successor of Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who retires on May 17. According to the nine, Section 15 Article VII that prohibits midnight appointments does not apply to the Supreme Court.

The high court ordered the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to submit the short list of nominees for Chief Justice to Malacañang “on or before May 17.” But it did not say whether Ms Arroyo could appoint Puno’s successor before the vacancy occurs.

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Pro-life groups held a condom-burning activity in front of the Department of Health (DOH) office in Cebu province to reiterate their opposition to the use of contraceptives supposedly against Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS).

Radio dzBB reported on Thursday the condom-burning protest action was held last Tuesday, even as Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral maintained the government will continue to provide condoms to those at risk.

The pro-life demonstrators also called for a total ban on condom advertising to protect children from early exposure to sex.

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Authorities remain clueless on who was behind the grenade attack on a hotel in Makati City Monday morning.

Radio dzBB’s Denver Trinidad reported on Tuesday that police have so far determined the explosive used in the incident was a fragmentation grenade.

Unidentified men lobbed a grenade at the parking area of the Tower Inn Hotel along Arnaiz Avenue at 5 a.m. Monday.

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Malacañang on Tuesday washed its hands off claims of poll watchdog groups linking it to supposedly “fake” party-list groups in the May 10 elections.

Deputy presidential spokeswoman Charito Planas said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should be faulted and not Malacañang for such claims against some party-list groups.

“Yang mga party-list na yan sa Comelec yan…. Sila ang nag-recognize, sa kanila, sila nagbibigay… gawin nalang natin kanya-kanyang trabaho. Di naman jurisdiction ng executive eh (The Comelec is the one that accredits party-list groups. Accreditation of such groups was never in the Executive Department’s jurisdiction),” Planas said in an interview on dzXL radio.

She added the Comelec should have scrutinized the nominees of such groups in the early on.

Planas said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should not be faulted for all supposed irregularities.

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