He said he would like to be president but not at all cost, thus the decision to bolt the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), his party since 1998.

And while it was reported that Sen. Loren Legarda, his fellow NPC member, would be his running mate, Escudero said he was not thinking about their tandem anymore. Legarda is reportedly running with Nacionalista Party standard-bearer, Sen. Manuel Villar Jr.

Asked whether he was indeed considering either Sen. Panfilo Lacson or Tourism Secretary Ace Durano as running mate, Escudero said he is not yet scouting for anyone.

“(I’m) not thinking about that yet. Haven’t even decided if I will run. I speak only for myself. As I said, I need time to think and decide as an independent oppositionist what I will do or what role I will play in 2010. I have not yet arrived at a decision,” he said.

ut he added that he was true with what he wanted to do and would want to institute the reforms needed in the country, emphasizing that one could not do it if he or she were part of the old system.

Escudero said it was liberating that no one was telling him now what he should do or when he should declare his bid for the presidency, if and when he decided to pursue it.

He admitted that although many were pushing him to run, still others were advising him to wait for the proper time.

Read the rest -  The Philippine Star

It’s the presidency or nothing for Sen. Francis Escudero.

Escudero, who made the improbable decision to bolt the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), said he was running for the highest post, ending speculations that he would be willing to run as the No. 2 to one of the presidential aspirants.

“It’s the presidency but not at all cost,” Escudero said in a phone interview Friday.

“If on your way there you will be eaten up by the system then what for? You can’t do what needs to be done anyway,” he said, by way of explaining his sudden decision to quit the second largest political party in the country and run for president as an independent.

Dismissing doubts about his chances without a political party vehicle, he dared his rivals to do the same.

“They should ask themselves that same question. For example, can they take a position vs pork barrel, can they openly fight contractualization?” he said.

Escudero shocked his party mates when he resigned last Wednesday from the NPC, which had been grooming him for months to be its standard-bearer for 2010, in order to ponder whether he should run for the presidency without a party.

Read more – INQUIRER.net

“Nakapagbigay tayo ng order sa affected areas lalo sa walang kuryente yung mga taong nariyan bibigyan sila ng form, lista nila. These people can come back sa Martes, ang kanilang registration bibigyan ng bisa,” Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said in a radio interview.

The poll chief issued the order because the power outages caused by typhoon “Santi” rendered useless their registration centers, which rely on electricity-powered data capture machines.

But the Comelec stressed that only voters whose forms were properly marked and signed by their election officerwill be entertained on Tuesday.

“We’ve instructed them to give out forms. Tatatakan at pipirmahan ng election officer para on Tuesday, puwede bumalik iyong mga may hawak ng forms na yun para matuloy ang kanilang rehistro,” James Jimenez, Comelec spokesman said in a television interview.

“Technically hindi ‘yan extension. On Tuesday, kapag dumating ka na wala kang form or kung may form ka man pero yung form na dala mo walang tatak at pirma ng EO, ibig sabihin hindi yun binigay today. Hindi yan i-entertain,” he added.

Voters flocked to different registration sites Saturday to beat the October 31, deadline.

Earlier, the Comelec already rejected calls to extend voters’ registration as this might affect their preparation of the voters’ list.

Saturday, Comelec made strong headway in its bid to register at least three million voters for the May, 10 2010 elections.

Melo said reports from field offices in 118 cities and 1,500 municipalities showed a heavy turnout of registrants consisting of students and young workers who took advantage of the start of the three-day non-working public holiday occasioned by All Saints’ Day Sunday Nov. 1 and All Souls’ Day Monday, Nov. 2, to beat the deadline.

He added that the three million target is attainable with the heavy turnout of registrants not only Saturday but also in the last few days.

“When all reports are in we would even exceed the 3-million target,” Melo said.

Melo, along with Commissioners Rene V. Sarmiento, Nicodemo T. Ferrer, Joselito N. Tagle, Armando C. Velasco, and Elias Yusoth stayed in their offices the whole day Saturday to monitor registration activities.

Poll registration to resume November 3

The 40-year old maverick politician, who has been a member of NPC since 1998, cited three reasons for the surprise announcement before a jampacked crowd of allies and supporters at the Club Filipino in Greenhills.

“Sa aking paniniwala, sinuman pong nagpaplano tumakbo bilang pangulo ng bansa, wala dapat partidong kinabibilangan. Ang partido lamang dapat niya ay Pilipinas at ang kanyang mg kapartido ay lahat ng Pilipino,” Escudero said in a speech.

He pointed out only a only a united citizenry, and not a single party or group, can solve the many deep-seated problems of the country.

Escudero, the youngest among the presidential frontrunners, also said that political parties have become obstacles to genuine and meaningful change.

“Para po sa akin, hindi dapat idikta ng isang partido ang gagawin ng sinumang tatakbo. Dahil kung ganoon, papaano niya mapapanagot ang mga tiwali sa gobyerno kung ito ay kagrupo o kasama niya?” he said.
“Papaano niya i-aabolish ang pork barrel at i-institute ang line item budgeting kung kasama niya ay puro kongresista at puro senador,” Escudero asked.

The Bicol lawmaker also deferred announcement of his plans for the 2010 elections, saying that he needed more time to decide for himself what to do next now that he is his own man.

chizescudero.com

Aquino and running-mate Manuel Roxas II cut short their consultation sorties in Mindanao to fly back to Metro Manila.

“Funds from the Piso-piso para Kay Noynoy will be used to buy relief goods for the victims of Ondoy,” Aquino said at the Chapel of the Configuration in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

Aquino and Roxas have converted their headquarters in Expo Centro in Farmers Market in Cubao, Quezon City into a relief operations center.

They met their supporters in Expo Centro upon their arrival to mobilize more volunteers and collect more relief goods.

“Let us join together and gather what we can to help the victims of typhoon Ondoy,” Aquino said.

Aquino and Roxas also launched Operation Tulong Bayan as they urged supporters and volunteers to set aside political work and focus on relief efforts.

Aquino and Roxas, along with former Senate President Franklin Drilon, visited the Tatalon area in Marikina , among the hardest hit by floods, to distribute relief goods.

Emergency and rescue teams deployed Saturday afternoon by Villar have brought to safety at least 1,300 victims of flooding, his office said.

The victims were rescued from submerged homes, flooded streets and places of work and ferried by trucks to safe areas.

Twenty-six large trucks were initially sent to flood-affected areas in Metro Manila and in Cainta and Antipolo City in Rizal. Five more large trucks were deployed yesterday afternoon, Villar’s office said.

Food rations were also delivered to evacuation centers.

Villar said the next challenge was to bring food and dry clothing fast to victims who were still stranded at the rooftops of their homes.

He said vehicles at distribution centers were on standby to help deliver food rations and donations.

“We’re coordinating with other government agencies and are making our large trucks and other vehicles available to help in the delivery of food to flood victims,” Villar said.

The rescue and relief efforts of Villar are being coordinated by a Typhoon Crisis Center located at the Worldwide Corporate Center in Mandaluyong.

Malaya

In a statement, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said these senators are “torn between” support for Aquino and loyalty to their party.

“They were allies of the late President (Corazon) Aquino and can sense that our people truly want change and reforms,” he said.

Pangilinan said potential allies of Aquino must consider national over personal interests.

“If I may suggest, the nation and its interest and the urgent need for real change should be paramount,” he said.

“We urge them to set aside party loyalty and personal considerations for the good of the nation. If they truly believe in the wave of change that is now upon us, they are welcome to join us and help lead the nation towards a new, progressive direction.

“Our basis of unity is genuine change and reforms. We welcome all those who are willing to support us, as long as this doesn’t come with any preconditions.”

On the other hand, Quezon Rep. Erin Tañada, LP spokesman, said a recent news report that Roxas defended President Arroyo in an impeachment case against her in 2005 was part of a plot to discredit Aquino and Roxas.

“It’s another lie,” he said.

“The lying, cheating and stealing machinery is now working to counter the tandem for truth, honesty and transparency.

“Be wary of flowery words from persons with ‘respectable’ titles. Because more often than not, they forget the truth.”

Tañada said the campaign of deception will come out against the LP presidential and vice-presidential tandem.

“Traditional campaign machineries really work that way,” he said. “That’s why we are fighting against the crooked and to straighten up the government.”

The Philippine Star

Nograles said that contrary to the results of Cuenco’s admittedly informal survey, Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro was clearly the ruling coalition’s choice based on the results of its national executive committee meeting last week. The selection of the Harvard-trained lawyer as Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer is to be ratified in a caucus next month.

But Cuenco, a member of the ruling coalition, said he was standing by his claim that most of the colleagues he had talked with favored the son of the late President Corazon Aquino. He had also said he was still undecided whom to support in 2010.

“That was my own private survey. They are free to disagree,” he said yesterday.

“[Cuenco] may have been speaking only for himself. I don’t think there is any basis for [his claim]. A great majority of our members are highly principled, and I don’t think their choice of Gibo was plainly based on what Congressman Cuenco describes as pork barrel considerations,” Nograles said, adding:

“[He] has been with the yellow movement since 1985, and maybe that’s his emotional sentiment. I’m sure the other Cebu congressmen do not feel like he does.”

INQUIRER.net

The tirade of Lacson came shortly after Senate Preseident Juan Ponce Enrile expressed in a speech his full support for former President Joseph Estrada.

Lacson further pinned down Erap on the case by presenting excerpts from conversations and news clips of Cesar Mancao and Glenn Dumlao pointing to Erap as the person behind the double murder.

“I am morally convinced, Malacañang ‘yan, si Erap ‘yan,” said a teary-eyed Dumlao in one of the videos.

Lacson called on Mancao to uphold the truth regarding Mancao’s February 14 affidavit that implicated Lacson in the double murder.

“‘Yang February 14 affidavit lang ang nagdidiin sa ‘kin,” Lacson said.

For his part, Senator Jinggoy Estrada challenged Lacson to present evidence and called it propesterous that Lacson can fabricate such statements against the former president.

More than a week ago, Senator Lacson, also in a privilege speech, accused former President Estrada of corruption when he was still president, involvement in the Dacer-Corbito murder case, harassment, and smuggling.

In an earlier speech Tuesday, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile defended Erap’s integrity and stressed Estrada’s kind and forgiving nature.

Manila Bulletin

Noynoy said intrigues and issues will likely surface after their announcement and most especially when the election period starts.

He said he wished that he and his running mate could spare his little sister, Kris Aquino, and Mar’s fiancée, Korina Sanchez, from all of the hardships.

“Sana hindi na namin sila maidadamay sa pinasukan namin. Sa hirap, sa intriga, sa pagod, sa kaba, sa lahat ng ito.

“Kaya nanghihingi kami ng paumanhin. Sana maging karapat-dapat kami sa pagmamahal na pinakita nila sa amin,” Noynoy said.

ABS-CBN News

Mr. Estrada was joined by his son San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor “JV” Estrada, counsel Jose B. Flaminiano and former Senate president Ernesto M. Maceda, Jr.

The complaint further stated: “It also appears that respondents [Isagani P.] Yambot, [Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc], [Daxim L.] Lucas, [Christine O.] Avendano and [Doris C.] Dumlao caused the printing, publication and circulation of the respondent [Alfonso T.] Yuchengco’s false and malicious statements without first validating them,” the complaint said.

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