New Mayors – Belmonte (65, worst), Moreno (90, best) and Sotto (80, good)

By pinoynews4

One week into office as mayors, Isko Moreno of Manila has shown tremendous political will and the ability to clear the streets of vendors and peddlers while Joy Belmonte of Quezon City is hounded by issues of being a turncoat (from YELLOW to a Duterte supporter), perpetuating a DYNASTY (at least 4 Belmontes currently elected in QC), NEPOTISM (appointing an in law and a cousin as top city officials) and lack of compassion (removing contract workers taken in during the past administration).

Quantitatively, Belmonte is given a 65 (with 75 as the passing grade) while Moreno gets a 90 (very good). Special mention goes to Vico Sotto of Pasig with a grade of 80 (good).

Mga PEKENG DDS problemado agad sa QC

By pinoynews4

qc mar leni joy sb vargas

Ilang araw palang sa bagong pamunuan ng Joy Belmonte term of office bilang mayora ng Quezon City, may hinaharap na siyang malaking suliranin. Ilang dosenang manggagawa sa Novaliches District Hospital ay TINANGGAL sa trabaho sa simpleng rason na mga contractual lang naman sila. Malayo ito sa nagaganap sa mga bagong pamunuan sa Pasig (Sotto) at Maynila (Moreno) kung saan binibigyan ng kahalagahan ang naiambag ng mga kawani maski pa naitalaga sila sa lungsod ng mga nakalipas na administrasyon.

Sa Quezon City, pangako ng bagong mayora nuong kampanya na LILINISIN niya ang Quezon City mula sa mga nakapasok sa trabaho sa panahon ng pinalitan niyang si Bistek Bautista na nagsilbi ng siyam na taon. Sa madaling salita, hinusgahan na ang mga empleyado na ang puso at damdamin nila ay kumikiling sa kaaway niyang si Bistek (maski pa magkapartido sila sa ilalim ng tatay ni Joy na si SB). Hindi binigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga SINIBAK na mga contractual na maipakita kung may naging  mabuti silang work record at job performance.

Pumunta si mayora ngayong araw sa Novaliches District Center na kasama pa ang kapwa niyang DILAWAN na bumalimbing din na si Cong Alfred Vargas ng District 5, Quezon City. May problema din ang bagong itinalaga ni mayora na Medical Director sa NDH. Maayos man niya ang gusot sa mga manggagawa, mahihirapan siya ilaglag ang manok niya na ginawang pinuno sa NDH.

 

A Tale of Two Cities – Manila and Quezon City

By pinoynews4

Two newly elected mayors in the Philippines are off to different directions and starts. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno is displaying a good start by cleaning up the major thoroughfares of Manila. Street obstruction or blockage had been the bane of the city and vehicular traffic was stalled due to the proliferation of “sidewalk” vendors. In the previous city administrations, street hawkers took over the historic streets themselves allegedly with the permission of city higher ups in exchange for millions of pesos in bribes on a daily basis.

On the other hand, in Quezon City, newbie Mayor Joy of the Belmonte family DYNASTY is pursuing her campaign promise of ridding the city government of non-permanent employees appointed by her predecessor Bistek Bautista. Strictly speaking both come from the same political party of the Belmonte patriarch but there is much bad blood among the two. Just a few days into the Joy Belmonte mayoralty stint, THOUSANDS of casuals have been given notice that their contracts would not be renewed. The IRONY here is that the Bistek-Joy feud had nothing to do with the recent election that elevated Joy to the position of mayor. Bistek had served three consecutive terms as Quezon City mayor and the Philippine Constitution has set a term limit of three terms for local executives, provincial officers and members of the Congressional Lower House (both district representatives and partylist congressmen). In other words, the Quezon City employees now being DISCHARGED, in all probability, voted for Joy to be their mayor since her opponent came a different political party.

ANALYSIS: Isko Moreno obviously pissed a huge number of his constituents who made a living through selling their wares on the streets. On the other hand, the vendors themselves knew that what they were doing was ILLEGAL. That was the very reason they coughed out grease money for the officials to look the other way. In Quezon City, removing the non-permanent city employees en masse could have a huge BACKLASH in the 2022 elections as said contractuals would profess that they were removed from their employment on the basis of their supposed connections to the previous Bistek regime and not on the basis of their competence, work record and performance on the job.

LOOK: Two crucial Manila

streets now vendor-free

BY Christian Imperio, The Philippine Star

JULY 3, 2019

Two of the most crowded streets in Manila have been purged of vendors following a series of cleanup operations on Tuesday.

On his second day of office, Mayor Isko Moreno ordered a series of clearing operations in a bid to decongest some of Manila’s streets that had become traffic chokepoints over the past couple of years.

A den of vendors who notoriously set their stalls on the street has been cleared from the stretch of CM Recto Avenue in Divisoria while a similar activity was also conducted along Carriedo Street in Sta. Cruz on the same day.

Some portions of the street along Carriedo were later marked with blue lines to specify the allotted space for vendors.

Meanwhile, two persons were caught collecting payoffs from vendors in Blumentritt market were arrested on Tuesday.

The suspects were apprehended after a police officer posed as a vendor handed them the marked money.

The suspects exposed the extent of the alleged corrupt activities in the public markets of Manila.

Maj. Rosalino Ibay of the Special Mayor’s Reaction Team said that the suspects would collect P20 to P30 three times a day from legitimate vendors and were given “collection tickets” not sanctioned by the city government, The STAR reported.

One of the suspects said that million of pesos were being collected weekly from Blumentritt market alone.

Cayetano attack on Velasco shows he (Alan) does not have the votes to become Speaker of the House

By pinoynews4
Former Senator and Secretary of Foreign Affairs, now Taguig Congressman Alan Peter Cayetano, may have unwittingly revealed that he does not have enough members of the House of Representatives in his pocket to become the next Speaker. Representative Cayetano is crying to the high heavens that Velasco already agreed to a term sharing as suggested by President Duterte while Velasco insists that the President would want the members of the House to settle things among themselves, meaning no Presidential endorsement of a particular candidate and no interference (from the executive) in a co-equal branch (legislature) of government.
Resorting to a term sharing is the negotiated result among candidates that are almost equal in votes and both would rather have shorter terms than risk losing in a close fight. Cayetano desperately clings to term sharing because he is the weaker candidate and he knows it which is why he wants a term sharing since he can not win in the voting. Velasco, on the other hand, is so confident of victory that he would not have anything to do with term sharing as he is already sure that he would win once the voting gets on the way.
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Cayetano accuses Velasco of lying about term-sharing
(Philstar dot com)
July 1, 2019 

MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano (Taguig) accused his rival Rep. Lord Allan Velasco (Marinduque) of lying about a supposed term-sharing deal for speakership at the House of Representatives.e speakership, earlier rejected the proposal as it would divide the lower chamber of Congress.

Cayetano insisted that it was the camp of Velasco that proposed term-sharing for the top spot at the House.

“Sinabi ni Lord Velasco na walan naman ganoong usapan. So okay lang naman sa akin na magsinungaling siya because politicians lie,” Cayetano told ANC’s “Headstart” Monday morning.

According to Cayetano, the camp of Velasco “ran” to Duterte when they found out he was running for Congress and brought up that there was a “promise” that he would take over the House speakership after the term of Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (Pampanga).

Cayetano stepped down from his post as secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs when he declared that he would seek a seat at the House and expressed his intent to be the next speaker.

The former DFA chief said Velasco owes Duterte an apology for supposedly denying that there was a term-sharing agreement.

“I was watching him here but to call the president a liar by saying there is no such agreement, I will not take that sitting down. Congressman Velasco owes the president an apology and he owes the people na mas maging honest siya,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano further claimed that the speakership row has been resolved during a meeting last week, where he talked with Velasco’s wife Wen.

“Sabi niya (Wen) ‘wag ka mag-alala kay Lord kasi mabait naman ‘yan. Susunod ‘yan sa napag-usapan natin,” Cayetano said.

This was the same meeting where Duterte asked Arroyo to choose her successor as he does not want to experience the “agony” of choosing the next House speaker.

Last week, Sen. Manny Pacquiao announced that majority of the lawmakers of PDP-Laban signed a manifesto of support for Velasco as House speaker for the full term of the 18th Congress.

Cayetano, meanwhile, claimed that at least 20 PDP-Laban lawmakers support his speakership bid. — Patricia Lourdes Viray

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Duterte says he greenlighted Cayetano-Velasco term-sharing

President Rodrigo Duterte confirms he proposed the term-sharing agreement but maintains he is sticking to his recent decision to let House members decide on the next Speaker

Pia Ranada (Rappler)

June 28, 2019

SPEAKERSHIP RACE. President Rodrigo Duterte shares a table with 3 Speaker hopefuls and Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during the HNP thanksgiving dinner. Malacañang photo

PHOTO: SPEAKERSHIP RACE. President Rodrigo Duterte shares a table with 3 Speaker hopefuls (Cayetano, Velasco and Romualdez) and Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during the HNP thanksgiving dinner. Malacañang photo

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte has confirmed that he gave his blessing for a term-sharing agreement between Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco and incoming Taguig-Pateros Representative Alan Peter Cayetano, rivals in the speakership race.

It seemed, however, that Velasco backed out at the “last minute,” said Duterte, whose account of events is consistent with that of Cayetano.

Duterte even said the term-sharing was his idea.

“This is what I said. You split a term. Cayetano wanted to go first. But he will stay there just for 15 months. That’s what he committed. Velasco can have the other half which is not really as short – 21 months,”Duterte said in a mix of Filipino and English on Thursday, June 27.

 

“That was the proposal. Cayetano agreed but Velasco appears to have backed out at the last minute,” continued Duterte.

The President was asked about the term-sharing scheme after Cayetano issued a statement expressing deep disappointment that Velasco had made a “turnaround” and decided he “won’t honor [the] President’s wishes” even after he had agreed to it.

During the interview, Duterte said he had proposed the term-sharing when Velasco, Cayetano, and Romualdez met with him in Japan, during his recent visit there for an international forum.

He said he initially even suggested a “toss coin,” which the 3 opposed.

In the President’s account, it was Cayetano who first sought his endorsement as speaker, and then Velasco. To both, Duterte said he agreed with their plans to seek the speakership but supposedly never gave his “commitment.” Romualdez, the last to approach him, also did not get a commitment from him.

“They went up to my room and they said: ‘You decide. We will follow.’ I cannot do that because I do not want to offend anybody even if you say, ‘It’s up to you, Mayor.’ There’s always the fall out,” said Duterte.

With the term-sharing deal out of the picture, Duterte sasaid he would stick with his earlier decision to let House members decide on their own.

“Mag-labo-labo na lang kayo (You go it your own), Romualdez, Alvarez, Cayetano. And I am telling each and every one of them, ‘I am sorry. I am very sorry I could not be of help,'” said Duterte.

Velasco, in a statement on Thursday, said as much.

“President Duterte already made clear his position that he would leave the choice for Speakership to the capable hands of the members of Congress and will not endorse a particular individual for the position. This declaration never mentioned a term-sharing for the position of Speaker,” said Velasco.

PDP-Laban, Duterte’s national political party, had announced Velasco as its bet for Speaker. Three other groups back his bid, though one of them – the party-list coalition – said it would only finalize its decision on July 2, ahead of the July 22 House vote.

The Marinduque lawmaker, whose dad and wife are also close to the President, said many House members find term-sharing problematic.

“There is a strong consensus among majority members of the House of Representatives during my series of consultation with them that term-sharing is divisive and will only impede the passage of important pieces of legislation,” said Velasco.

Romualdez, who described himself as a “strong contender” for Speaker, is also opposed to term-sharing, for the same reasons. – Rappler dot com

 

The Fall of the Erap Dynasty

By pinoynews4

Two Ejercito Estradas running for senator, both sons of Erap, both senators (Jinggoy Estrada come backing, JV Ejercito running for re-election). Both failed to make it with 12 vacant positions available. Erap was running for a third term as mayor of the city of Manila but failed. His grandaughter (daughter of Jinggoy was incumbent vice mayor and was all set to replace third term mayor Guia Gomez, mother of JV) ran for mayor of the city of San Juan but also lost.

What happened? Erap and his relatives have controlled San Juan for 50 years until this turn of events, losing to their former allies, the Zamoras. In Manila, Erap lost to former ally, Isko Moreno. The Erap dynasty has produced four national personalities with Erap as senator, Vice President and President while wife Loi became senator and children Jinggoy (son of Loi) and JV (son of Guia) became senators.

After being found guilty of PLUNDER, post EDSA 2 and a prolonged HOSPITAL ARREST, Erap was PARDONED by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Erap ran for President in 2010 but lost to Noynoy Aquino. In 2013 and 2016, Erap won as mayor of the city of Manila in a classic expansion to an adjacent territory at the same time that the Gomez side of his family retained control of San Juan.

Jinggoy is currently facing graft and corruption charges and also spent years in detention but was able to go out on bail.

Political analysts were quick to point out that the Erap move to Manila divided their family and the inability to convince Jinggoy to run for San Juan mayor instead of having two Estradas in the Senate race doomed the fate of the Erap DYNASTY. Theoretically, since there were 12 vacant positions, both could have won but the entry of close allies of President Duterte (Special Assistant Bong Go, former PNP Chief Bato De La Rosa and National Political Adviser Francis Tolentino) who all won got their victories at the expense of incumbent or former senators (JV Ejercito, Bam Aquino, Jinggoy Estrada, Mar Roxas, Serge Osmena and Juan Ponce Enrile).

Is a comeback still possible? For Erap, it might be time for him to hang his political gloves as he is already in his eighties. For the city of San Juan an unlikely but possible alliance between the Jinggoy Estrada faction and the Guia Gomez – JV Ejercito branch of the Erap dynasty could put them back in the local government unit against the Zamoras. However, at this time outgoing mayor Guia Gomez may more comfortably work with the Zamoras than with Jinggoy.

ABS CBN can survive without a franchise

By pinoynews4

With the possibility of ABS CBN not getting a franchise renewal from the House of Representatives, the giant radio and TV company may need to seek other sources of revenue for the corporation to survive. No one in his right mind can state that in the short term, without a franchise, ABS CBN can still command the same level of net profits but there are a lot of positives that ABS CBN can utilize to still remain as a giant media corporation.

The number one advantage of ABS CBN is its seemingly endless pool of talents. Vice Ganda, Anne Curtis, Koko Martin, Sarah Geronimo, Nadine Lustre, Angel Locsin, Kim Chiu, Kathryn Bernando, Daniel Padilla and many others are just the big names in the entertainment department. In the news category, Ted Failon, Noli De Castro, Julius Babao and Anthony Taberna are household names. Maalalala Mo Kaya is a top rated radio program.

With all that talent, ABS CBN must somehow find a venue or platform to reach their Kapamilya fans. Leasing or taking over (in whole or in part) a number of dormant, idle or marginal radio and tv stations may somehow comply with the amount of airtime that the current ABS CBN is consuming everyday. Obviously not all of the current programs can be accommodated from day one but from the management point of view, that situation could actually be a blessing as ABS CBN would be forced to let go of unproductive shows to concentrate on their blockbusters.

The internet is another area where ABS CBN already has a significant presence in Facebook (including FB live streaming), YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. The international market is a huge potential for ABS CBN to explore what with its library of programs that can achieve global distribution.

Realistically, the transition from having a franchise and losing it would be a difficult path to thread but it CAN be done.

2019 Senatorial Trends – Poe, Bam Aquino, Binay, Pimentel, Roxas and Ejercito losing ground (Part 1)

By pinoynews4

With the May 2019 Philippine midterm elections fast approaching, the senatorial race which at some point was already “in the bag” for many incumbent senators and come backing senators, today, towards the end of November, 2018, there are massive shifts rocking the survey results. 

Grace Poe, 2013 number one senator in terms of total votes, won on her first attempt riding mainly on the apparently stolen presidential victory of her father, movie star Fernando Poe Jr., in 2004, marked by massive cheating which benefited incumbent President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Grace was hounded by her citizenship status when she ran and lost her Presidential ambition in 2016 (won by current President Rody Duterte). In the second half of her six-year senate term, she joined the Duterte Administration Majority Coalition. She would have easily garnered the votes of millions of Duterte supporters and breezed through the 2019 contest except that she was at the forefront of the Frigate Deal investigation that grilled the President’s closest associate, SAP Bong Go (who himself is running for the Senate in 2019). Aside from that, Grace made public a number of her personal feelings against social media, specifically Facebook (which coincidentally was what catapulted then Davao City Mayor Rody to the Presidency). Her Senate investigation on FAKE NEWS specifically pinpointed Asec Mocha Uson and Duterte online warriors as the perpetrators of malicious, manufactured, invented and untrue stories against the political opposition. 

While Senator Poe may state that the investigations were conducted in aid of legislation, Duterte supporters did not take her perceived attacks on Duterte allies sitting down. Thus, while Poe topped all senatorial surveys prior to end September 2018, the good senator found herself tied for second and third in the Social Weather Station survey released in October 2018. A radio station poll released in November 2018 shows Poe tied for the third to sixth positions. While it is still too early to tell whether this is a temporary setback or the start of an irreversible decline, it is safe to say that pro-Duterte forces are actively mounting a negative campaign against her and this has taken its toll. A drop from number one to a place outside of the MAGIC 12 is ALMOST an IMPOSSIBLE thought to consider at this time but we may get greater clarity as the start of the official campaign period gets underway in February 2019 and further until election day in May 2019.

Part 2 will be available soon.     

Leni – “there is no freaken way YOU will ever be President- if the TRUE voice of the Filipino were to be heard.” quote from PCOO Usec Badoy

By pinoynews4

What happened during the past two years, there is a lot of shaping up to do as far as culture of governance is concerned. Bringing back decency to public service, regaining the trust of the people, and unifying the entire Filipino nation,” Robredo said.

The Vice President told Makati businessmen that Filipinos have become too “polarized” and it will be “difficult” for the next president to govern the country if the people remain divided.”

No madam, WRONG.

The indecency you speak of in public service happened before Rodrigo Duterte sat in office. Care for us to run through the laundry list of crimes your gang committed against the Filipino people and for which the trust of the Filipino people against the dilaws are so well known that even your front runners refuse to wear your color? LOL.

Off the top of my head and just bec it’s a Saturday and I’m working: Madam, let’s just concentrate on these two: MAMASAPANO, YOLANDA. Dyan lang sa dalawang yan, tapos na ang boksing.

Ano pa pag nalaman ng mamamayang Pilipino ang mga natutuklasan naming mga kabalastugan ng nagdaang administrasyon na nakakangilabot sa pagkawalang hiya?

And wrong again, Leni.
United–that’s what the Filipino people are.

We have never been as united as we are now- AND AGAINST YOU AND YOUR GANG AND ALL YOU STAND FOR: incompetence, indifference, corruption, phoniness, empty, fluff.

The latest survey shows that the overwhelming majority of Filipinos- a full 70% after over 2 years in office- continue to support and approve of our President. Never before has any Filipino president enjoyed this much trust and approval from the people they serve.

Our President is taking our country forward where you and your ilk have done nothing but destroy all that is sacred to us and then preserve the rotten status quo where millions of Filipinos have been left behind.

As the much beloved Steven Sackur (much beloved by me, for instance lol) observed, Pres Duterte enjoys approval ratings that are the envy of other world leaders.

You, on the other hand, have a grade of 34%. 

Oh Leni, Leni, Leni…no worries about the tough time the next President is going to have because there is no freaken way YOU will ever be President- if the TRUE voice of the Filipino were to be heard.

So if I were you, fade away and just do what you do best: pictorials, parties, weird interviews where nothing you say makes sense however much we TRY to listen to you babble on.

Malasakit Bong Go – Taguig fire victims

By pinoynews4

Isa na namang gabi ng pagseserbisyo sa Pilipino ang nagawa ni Kuya Bong Go nang bumisita ito sa Cayetano Sports Complex kahapon, November 25, para suriin ang kalagayan ng mga biktima ng sunog sa Bagumbayan, Taguig.

Nag-ikut-ikot si Kuya Bong para kumustahin ang mga apektadong pamilya at tinatayang mga 550 katao na apektado ng sunog. Nagbigay din ng mensahe si Kuya Bong para patatagin ang loob ng mga ito sa pagsubok na pinagdadaanan nila ngayon.

Magbibigay naman ng mga uniporme at sapatos si Kuya Bong sa mga mag-aaral at nagtatrabaho para may magamit ang mga ito. Naghandog din ng mga sapatos at relo si Kuya Bong sa mga nasunugan habang sasagutin naman niya ang pamasahe ng mga gustong umuwi sa kani-kanilang probinsya. Ang lahat ng mga handog na ito ay mula sa mga kaibigan at taga-suporta ni Kuya Bong.

Makikipag-ugnayan naman si Kuya Bong sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno tulad ng Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes (PCSO) at National Housing Authority (NHA) para madinig ang mga hinanaing ng mga nasunugan at para mabigyan sila ng tulong.

Isang labintatlong taong gulang na bata rin na may butas ang puso ang tutulungan ni Kuya Bong para sa operasyon nito sa Philippine General Hospital.

Inimbitahan naman ni Kuya Bong ang mga nasunugan sa FIBA basketball game ng Gilas Team Pilipinas laban sa Kazakhstan na gaganapin sa SM Mall of Asia Arena ngayong darating na Biyernes, November 30.

Bago umalis si Kuya Bong, kinausap din niya ang mga Tricycle Operators and Driver’s Association (TODA) ng barangay sa labas ng sports complex na naging evacuation center ng mga nasunugan.

Muli, hindi papalampasin ni Kuya Bong ang pagkakataong mabisita at maiabot ang dapat na tulong sa mga biktima ng sakuna tulad ng sunog. Nagpapasalamat si Kuya Bong sa kanyang mga kaibigan at taga-suporta dahil sa walang tigil na pagsuporta sa kanyang mga adbokasiya. Maraming salamat din sa mga taong patuloy na naniniwala sa tunay na pagbabagong hatid ni Kuya Bong na ang tanging bisyo ay mag-SERBISYO!

Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2018 Karen Gallman.

By pinoynews4

Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2018 Karen Gallman. Bohol Province. Filipina – Australian. Advocates for education. An avid traveler. Karen worked as an operations analyst in a company in London.