Belmonte bibigyan ng patas na laban si Pangulong Arroyo sa pagka-speaker
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QUEZON City congressman-elect Feliciano Belmonte is confident that the Liberal Party will prevail in the race
for the speakership of the House of Representatives citing precedents in the Lower House's history.
"We’ll give a good fight. History is actually on the side of LP (Liberal Party)," said Belmonte who is quickly
emerging as the favorite contender for the speakership position against President Gloria Arroyo who leads
the outgoing administration's bloc in Congress.
Arroyo apparently has the support of anywhere around 107 to 150 lawmakers still with Lakas, a two- is-to -one
numerical advantage over the LP congressmen.
But Belmonte, former speaker and veteran in national and local politics for 18 years, stressed that in the past,
adjustments in party affiliations invariably result in support for the incumbent in Malacañang.
"When I was elected congressman in 1992, the ruling party that time is also overwhelming - the majority is
also over 100. Most of them are on the other side, on the winning side," Belmonte said of the Lakas-NUCD
party then.
"During the fight of Joseph Estrada and JDV (former House Speaker Jose De Venecia) more than 100
lawmakers, including myself, was in the ruling party in Lakas. In no time at all a huge group over 70 headed
by our Cong. Manny Villar moved over to the other side," he said.
Belmonte explained that the bigger problem is once the exodus from Lakas-Kampi-CMD to LP starts, the
smaller group in LP might be swamped.
"Ang mas malaking problem natin since we (LP) are in a small group baka ma-overwhelmed kami nito ng
mga groups na to. This is what we’re trying to work on," he explained during an interview at the Unang Hirit
television program at GMA 7 television early yesterday morning.
Belmonte also sees his closeness with his former colleagues winning the day for the LP. The out-going
Quezon City mayor disclosed that he has personally met with some of these lawmakers while serving as the
highest official in the country’s premier city.
"Marami na akong kaibigan (na kongresman) dahil sa pagiging mayor ko," he said.
Asked why his name is cropping up as the strongest bet for the LP in the speakership war, Belmonte replied:
"A lot of government officials live in QC and so I connected with them and that's probably one of the reasons
why my name has been brought up as a possible contender for the speakership position."
"All of a sudden di ko naman inaakala na nandun na yung pangalan ko," he said of reports that he is being
pushed to go against former President Arroyo or her bet in the race to secure the fourth highest post in the
land.
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Smartmatic hinarap ang nag-aalburutong si atienza
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HINARAP ni Smartmatic President Cesar Flores si dating Environment Sec. Lito Atienza upang pabulaanan
na hindi nabilang ang kaniyang mga boto dahil sa palyadong Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine
noong nakaraang halalan.
Si Atienza ay nagpoprotesta matapos na tambakan ng boto ni Manila incumbent Mayor Alfredo Lim.
Ayon sa Smartmatic, ito ay isa sa major allegation na kanilang natanggap na tinawag pa ng ilan bilang
"hocus PCOS" kaugnay ng ginanap na halalan kaya kinailangan nila itong agad na sagutin.
Giit kasi ni Atienza, libo-libong boto ang hindi nabilang para sa kaniya dahil sa natukoy na error ng makina
kung saan iba-iba ang petsa ng election returns (ER's) kahit ilang minuto lamang ang pagitan ng paggamit.
Paliwanag ni Flores, nasira lamang ang orasan ng PCOS ngunit wala naman itong kaugnayan sa pagbilang
ng mga boto.
Inihalimbawa sa reklamo ni Atienza may isa umanong ER na nagrehistro ang petsa na March 27, 2010 at
nagsara ang presinto ng alas 7:14 ng umaga.
Ang isa pa aniyang ER ay may petsang April 28, 2010 at nagsara daw ang presinto ala 1:11 ng hapon. Meron
ding ER na may petsang May 9, 2010.
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Tatlo pang senador pormal ng naiproklema
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PORMAL ng pinoklama ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) ang tatlo pang senador na nanalo sa
katatapos na unang automated election.
Kabilang sa mga naiproklama sina Lito Lapid at Teofisto Guingona Jr.
sa Comelec na nag-convene bilang National Board of Canvasser, matapos na hindi nakadalo si serge
Osmeña.
Ipinaliwanag ni Comelec Chairman Jose Melo na bagama't hindi pa natatapos ang canvassing ng mga boto,
hindi na umano ito makakaapekto sa bilang ng mga botong nakuha ng pang-10 hanggang pang-12 senador.
Una nga rito ay naiproklama na ng Comelec ang siyam na nga senador na kinabibilangan nina Bong Revilla,
Jinggoy Estrada, Miriam Santiago, Franklin Drilon, Juan Ponce-Enrile, Pia Cayetano, Ferdinand "Bong-Bong"
Marcos Jr., Ralph Recto at Vicente "Tito"
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