GRPundit

In a last ditch effort to dissuade the British, the European Commission has quickly announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English". In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter. In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplik...

Stupidity and being dumb aren't the same thing. A person can be forgiven for being dumb because said person simply doesn't know any better. Being stupid, on the other hand, is about knowing, or at least having access to better information, but eschewing it altogether. Being stupid doesn't mean you know nothing. Indeed, you know SOMETHING and you know what is right and yet you choose what is wrong anyway. A good example of being stupid is seeing a door that says "pull" but you "push" anyway. I understand Filipinos who are unfortunate in life but I'm not going to let misfortune be an excuse for bad behavior. ------------------ This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://www.getrealphilippines.com/blog/2015/09/3-big-reasons-why-filipinos-will-always-be-stupid/#comment-1691729

The will of the people, if used as a standard, outside the bounds of law, is a step backward to the times when the will of the people sentenced gladiators to their deaths.  The will of a raging mob is the will of the people.  Jesus Christ was crucified when the multitude shouted the name of Barrabas. Modern political systems have abandoned this doctrine and modified it in the context of the rule of law.  It is only when the will of the people operates within the context of the law, and is sanctioned by rules and laws, that the voices of the people become legitimate to nourish Constitutional democracy. Otherwise, it is a free for all and reduce democracy to how it was lamented by Aristotle, that it just becomes a game of numbers.  This is not democracy as we see it now.  This will be mob rule. -------------------- Antonio Contreras as posted on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10205554865185158&id=1658231410

EXCUSE ME?! Why do we have laws, rules in the first place? The majority felt it was absurd if the deadline was retained, since it would defeat the purpose of the vote? [The PDI quotes Jimenez, saying -- "The problem [in not extending the deadline]  is it will essentially defeat the voice of the voters who voted for certain candidates but will not be allowed to assume office simply because they have no SOCEs. That is what we want to avoid." THAT IS ABSURD. Candidates and parties are obligated to act in a way that protects the voters' choice -- starting with following rules and laws, as they are sworn to do. It is NOT the Comelec's job to bend backwards for the candidates in the name of voters. That is as sorry an excuse as I've ever heard. -- Jimenez said the extension will benefit five senators, 115 congressmen, and 40 governors, who otherwise will not be allowed to take office if the extension was denied. "Medyo malaki 'yung effect nito, an...

Now that we are in the season where the will of the people is greater than the law, then nothing should stop PDU30 from appointing Senator Marcos to a cabinet post and just simply disregard the law barring him from doing so. After all 14 million voted for BBM and 16 million fir him and such appointment will be in accordance with the will of the people. People should also not protest if PDU30 disregards the tenure of Chairs Tati Licuanan of CHED and Chito Gascon of CHR since these two are not elected officials and have only the law on their side but such would not be enough to match the 16 million who voted for the next Ptesident. We have entered a very dangerous period and I blame COMELEC for being its hand-maiden. Now, the rule of law has been effectively undermined and the will of the people has now been prostituted and diminished to become no longer the cornerstone of democracy but as a lynchpin to destabilize it. Karma will surely be when the COMELEC Commissioners will wail o...

I have always fought for the rule of law.  That is why I hailed Senator Grace Poe to the COMELEC.  I never lost faith in it, until today. I have always been critical of people who commit extrajudicial means, but today I am now in a deep bind.  How can I now argue with those who want to take matters into their own hands, and appeal to them to trust the legal system, when right before our very eyes the law has been desecrated by the very people who are sworn to protect it, and in this case by the very same people who issued them. Never in the history of this Republic was a desecration of the law so blatantly done.  October 2015, the same Commission on Elections of seven members passed a resolution that a majority of them simply trashed today, June 16, 2016, barely 8 months to privilege the Liberal Party.  This is unforgivable. I will still be an obedient and law-abiding citizen, and will keep on hoping that a legal remedy will be found to take to task those who desecrated the rule ...

Today, the COMELEC has just totally lost its credibility to become an agent of the rule of law.  How can it continue to be such when it is not capable of enforcing its own rules. Shame on you! I am particularly distressed that Commissioners Rowena V. Guanzon and Arthur Lim, two of the Commissioners who fought with us in upholding the rule of law and the Constitution on the case of Grace Poe, are now part of the four who trashed their own rules to accommodate the Liberal Party (the other candidates and parties are just collateral beneficiaries). Non-extendible deadlines!  Late submissions will no longer be accepted! What is so complicated about these rules that you could not just implement them, in the same manner that you did not think twice to disenfranchise thousands of voters who failed to have their biometrics taken within your prescribed period. I am beyond angry.  I am enraged. -------------------- Antonio Contreras as posted on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/st...

This is the COMELEC that allowed for a SMARTMATIC personnel to make changes in the script without proper authorization. This is the same COMELEC that is accused by Senator Marcos of having allowed a fourth server to be installed as a queue server without proper certification and checking in accordance with law. This is the same COMELEC that has now refused to implement its own Omnibus Rules on Campaign Finance that stated, among others, that the June 8 deadline is non extendible, and that late submissions will no longer be accepted, and even repealed all its previous resolutions that allowed late submissions. This is the same COMELEC that appeared to have usurped the powers of Congress in extending the period specified by Law. -------------------- Antonio Contreras as posted on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10205550169467768&id=1658231410

This is unbelievable! LP filed their SOCE beyond the period the law mandated.  It was received by COMELEC, invoking ministerial duty.  So it begs the question, will the en banc decide on compliance still? Why? If we look at the SOCE, it was filed by the Treasurer of the Party.  Nothing wrong there. But uncharacteristically, the contributions and the expenditures were neatly packed.  No single cent saved. Non-members donated Php181 Million while members donated Php 60 Million for a total of Php 241 Million.  Interesting to see who donated, both for non-members and members.  And how the donations were distributed to national and local candidates. Since it was a party SOCE, that means it covers all LP candidates who received financial support from the party. Robredo filed her SOCE with 16M in-kind contribution received from political party (Php241M-Php16M=225M).  How was the 225 M spent? If we look at the CONA of candidates, there were 8 candidates for the Senate that ran unde...

Vice President-elect Leni Robredo's statement on Sen. Marcos' claims of bringing "closure to the rest of the country" through his father's burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani: "Tatlong dekada na ring naghihintay ang libu-libong pamilya ng mga biktima ng Martial Law ng kanilang katarungan at closure. Lalong hindi tayo makakapag-move on kapag kinalimutan natin ang karahasan sa ating kasaysayan." -------------------- Leni Robredo as posted on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=968096273308041&substory_index=0&id=283945495056459

Let us practice some logical analysis here; Paragraph No. 2 of Section 14 of RA 7166 reads: "No person elected to any public offices shall enter upon the duties of his office until he has filed the statement of contributions and expenditures herein required." Now, a liberal reading of the provision implies that any candidate can file a statement of contributions and expenditure (SOCE) anytime beyond the 30 days prescribed by law, and can only be fined and would be prevented from entering upon the duties of his office until he files the SOCE. Okay.  Fine.  Let us grant this liberal interpretation without necessarily agreeing to it. But let us now take paragraph No. 3 of Section 14 of the same law that applies to political parties, which reads: "The same prohibition shall apply if the political party which nominated the winning candidate fails to file the statement required herein within the period prescribed by this Act." So, what is that prohibition wh...

ATTY. MACALINTAL IS WRONG AGAIN The seasoned election lawyer is reported to have stated that should Bongbong Marcos accept a cabinet post after one year, that it will be bad for his impending electoral protest against Leni Robredo. Atty. Macalintal offers two reasons for this. 1.  Accepting a cabinet post after one year is an admission that Marcos lost, since the one-year ban is only for losing candidates. 2.  A cabinet post would render as null any protest and could be taken as a waiver. With all due respect, I think the good lawyer is again wrong on both grounds. On point 1.  While the 14 million who voted for Marcos certainly believe that he won, unfortunately under the law Mrs. Robredo has already been proclaimed. Hence, since we are a government of laws, Marcos and President Duterte will have to abide by the one-year prohibition against appointing candidates who were declared to have lost in the official canvassing, but without prejudice to such candidates accepting a ...

While some may already have the notion that COMELEC may bend the rules to favor LP, I have a feeling that the pressure this time is so intense for them to impose the law. First, they themselves emphasized the non-extendibility of the June 8 deadline and that any late submissions will be considered as non-filing. Second, there will be an outcry from candidates who lost to LP who complied with the deadine. And most importantly, LP is no longer in power. -------------------- Antonio Contreras as posted on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10205510922966630&id=1658231410

Macalintal and LP are clutching at straws if they will insist that late filing is allowed and that it is meted simply a fine.  They will have to argue their case at the Supreme Court, for I have a feeling that this issue will reach the High Court. On the argument that RA 7166 provides for fines, this does not in any way negate forfeiture of seats for both can be imposed on a non-filer.  Furthermore, it must be pointed out that the law imposes fines on the act of failure to file SOCE, and not on its late filing. On the argument that RA 7166 has downgraded non-filing of SOCE as no longer an election offense but just an administrative offense, unfortunately the same law did not downgrade the penalty for non-filing which is still forfeiture of seats. On the argument that the law intended for allowing late filing, if that is the case then the law should have granted the COMELEC the power to extend the 30 days it specified. Unfortunately, RA 7166 does not empower the COMELEC to do so, ...

Mar to Leni: why should I even have to go through all the troublesome hell of preparing and submitting the stupid requirement? what's in it for me? Bahala ka na sa buhay mo. Remember I am a Roxas and you are only a Robredo. -------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://www.getrealphilippines.com/blog/2016/06/leni-robredo-disqualified-vp-post-due-lp-non-compliance-comelec-policy/#comment-1685737

Oh yes, then Section 14 of Republic Act 7166 "Every candidate and treasurer of the political party shall, within thirty (30) days after the day of the election, file in duplicate with the offices of the Commission the full, true and itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures in connection with the election. NO PERSON ELECTED TO ANY PUBLIC OFFICES SHALL ENTER UPON THE DUTIES OF HIS OFFICE UNTIL HE HAS FILED THE STATEMENT OF CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES HEREIN REQUIRED. THE SAME PROHIBITION SHALL APPLY IF THE POLITICAL PARTY WHICH NOMINATED THE WINNING CANDIDATE FAILS TO FILE THE STATEMENT REQUIRED HEREIN WITHIN THE PERIOD PRESCRIBED BY THIS ACT." So, if the law is followed, Leni Robredo has to be disqualified. Same goes for the whole LP slate. Franklin Drilon, Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, Francis Pangilinan, Ralph Recto, Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa De Lima and a whole lot of LP candidates in the Congress. Same goes for local elected candidates. ----------...

I've been chuckling at the defensive posts of partisans who say that if a recount is done it should be for all. This is of course my gut feel as the evidence is still hazy, but if a recount of the votes for president is done, I expect a HIGHER count for Du30 like 20-m votes, with Poe and Binay fighting for second place. At the vice-presidential level, it's a toss-up between Robredo and Marcos, with the scales tipping in his favor if the script change didn't take place. And I would think that Cayetano got much more than what was reported for him. As for the senatorial race, some who made it will probably have a lower count, some would be out of the magic twelve and some who were out  would get in, assuming the count is done right and accurately reported.  The only way to find out if there was e-cheating, and to what extent, is to conduct that widely requested security and platform audit to determine whether a breach took place that would have altered the count. But t...

I was asked why am I not posting anything about [President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte (Digong)] and the apparent tension with media. Through our program, #BannerStory, on DZIQ RadyoInquirer, I have articulated my stance and shared my thoughts. On social media, well here's mine, posting for the first time. The dynamics you see now is what exactly the relationship between subject and the media should be--adversarial in nature so that the inherent role of asking and probing of journalists could continue and remains uninterrupted, protected even. As long as the right to report and to write what we find out to be true is protected, I am OK with that. It must be clear that the adversarial relationship should not be misconstrued as a reflection of an individual or a group's prejudices and biases. The probing and the investigation of journalists should only be based on the task of telling the truth to a story no matter who gets hurt to the point of risking your own security or in some...

Rappler reporter Pia Ranada Robles: Sir, we have this ordinance nga, the Women Development Code. In the ordinance, it states that catcalling, whistling – sorry, let me just read it, part of it: "Cursing, whistling, or calling a woman in public with words having dirty connotations or implications" is actually sexual harassment, so it seems as if you, uh— President-elect Rodrigo Duterte: (whistles) Audience: (few people laugh) Duterte: You know, you don't have any business stopping me. That is a freedom of expression. Pia: Sir, your own law says that there is a limit to expression. Duterte: If you go overboard and you start to harass the woman. Pia: Sir, the definition in the ordinance is "whistling," so that's already— Duterte: Well, if you go, you cajole with the woman (whistles). "Miss, uh…" As a matter of fact, when I first saw you, I said… (whistles) Audience: (silence) Duterte: Go to another question. You cannot stop anybody...

At the moment: NAIA 3 departure area. Check the garbage bins at the right side of the photo. Airport attendant on the left wearing a green polo shirt told me - 'you haven't seen the worst sir' Ganyan ang mga Pinoy, sir! --------------- Vince Cinches as posted on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153440660942522&id=704207521&set=a.10150195883612522.306429.704207521

I silently and intently watched Duterte Rodrigo this dawn since I failed doing so the first two pressers. Was it shocking? To some probably bec it was totally not traditional presidential talk. My first tweet, while listening, was this was a leader very angry of how things are. Before, it used to be religious leaders, then politics n politicians, uniformed personnel and now media. Somehow, I find myself cheering every jab. He does not exempt any, including his raw imperfections. It was totally unstructured w a weave of policies, directives, anecdotes, commentaries, introductions, all mixed and mashed w invectives. Nonsense? Nope! You hv to leave the MNL centric, urban defined lens to understand the incoming president. It was a jarring experience but there were strokes that truly redefine power relations. He primes and frames every hit on various centers of power w a shield often repeated: "I don't care if I lose the presidency, if it causes my life or destroys my reputatio...

Leni (main beneficiary of electoral fraud) is in an awkwardly precarious situation nowadays. They say a cabinet position awaits her, only to be taken back by Du30 – out of deference to his ally and friend BBM (the victim). Then Du30 boycotts being crowned side by side with her. What I noticed with Du30 is that he will not meddle with the judiciary (pushing for investigations), but he will do things he sees best within his scope/area of control: appointing positions of power in his administration. Leni might end up like a "basang sisiw" VP with no real / significant role. Worse, she might get the cold shoulder from everyone in Du30's core admin – as if she was stricken with leprosy. Somehow, divine karmic justice has its way to bite in the end. ------------------ This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://www.getrealphilippines.com/blog/2016/05/duterte-cannot-must-not-move-electoral-fraud/#comment-1680931