Sixto Brillantes Jr – Page 2

Comelec mulls reso to minimize vote-buying

Feb 182013

(COMELEC Seal) MANILA, Feb 15 (Mabuhay) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to go strong against vote-buyers as Election Day approaches, its chairman, Sixto Brillantes Jr., said Friday. “Konting warning sa vote-buying, we are coming out with something, which I will not announce,” Brillantes said, adding they may come up with a resolution to minimize the illegal practice of buying and selling votes. “I actually said we are mulling over whether we can come out with a resolution and somehow minimize vote-buying,” he said. He said the resolution may be issued at least 10 days before May 13, Election Day. “Kasi ang vote-buying is really being used a few days before the elections, usually bisperas or two days before.” He refused to give other details, saying it might preempt the plan of the poll body. “Kung sasabihin ko ngayon e di wala na, walang kwenta yung pinaplano namin.” Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code defines vote-buying as “any person who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value, gives or promises any office or employment, franchise or grant, public or private, or makes or offers to make an expenditure, directly or indirectly, or cause an expenditure to be made to any person, association, corporation, entity, or community in order to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate or withhold his vote in the election, or to vote for or against any aspirant for the nomination or choice of a candidate Read More …

Comelec to start issuing notices to campaign violators

News

Feb 132013

Comelec to start issuing notices to campaign violators

After a one-day leeway, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will start sending out notices to national candidates will illegal campaign posters on Wednesday. Candidates who will not remove such posters within three days after receipt of notice will be slapped with charges, Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. warned on Wednesday. “Wala naman kaming taong magtatanggal ng dinidikit nila (candidates). ‘Pag di nila tinanggal after three days from notice mag-uumpisa na kami mag-file ng charges,” said Brillantes in an ambush interview in San Juan where he was attending an event by good governance group Kaya Natin!. He admitted that as of Wednesday, the second of the 90-day campaign period for national candidates, all the Comelec could do was monitor and issue warnings regarding violations on election rules. “Tignan natin within the next few days. Probably by the weekend, tapos na ho yung three days, baka makakita na tayo ng konting galaw from us. Ngayon, puro warning lang ho kami. ‘Yung mga nagdidikit, okay, ‘di pa namin kayo hahabulin pero tatanggalin din niyo ‘yan,” he said “‘Pag ‘di niyo tinanggal, kayo na ho ang bahala. Kami naman ang bahala sa inyo,” he added. Brillantes appealed to candidates who violate campaign rules not to risk possible consequences that may jeopardize their candidacy. “Kaya pakiusap ko sa mga kandidato wag na kayong mag-risk kasi kung idemanda namin kayo doon lang medyo masisira na kampanya niyo e at malamang matalo pa kayo,” he said. “We’re giving them a chance. I’m announcing ‘yung mga nagdidikit diyan Read More …

Comelec to release ad urging public to report campaign violations

News

Feb 082013

Comelec to release ad urging public to report campaign violations

The Commission on Elections is set to release an advertisement urging the people to report campaign violations or file complaint against candidates. “Meron ako[ng] [i]lalabas na ads. Ang sasabihin ko, isumbong mo sa Comelec. Hindi kanino man, isumbong mo sa Comelec,” poll chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Friday. “Mag-uumpisa na ang campaign sa February 12, meron ng mga violation sa campaign. Kung meron kayong makita, isumbong nyo sa Comelec at kami ang bahala sa kanila,” he added. Further, Brillantes said the public can report violations by calling the Comelec and the poll body will check if the complaint has basis. “Kung gusto mong magpresent ng evidence, sa hearing na. Magsumbong ka lang, pwede mong itawag, kami na ang bahala. Ite-check namin kung may basis, aaksyunan namin. Ibig sabihin, pag may sumbong, titingnan namin, ipapa-check natin sa election officer,” he said. In a separate interview, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the public can tweet the picture of the supposed violation to the poll body. He said the complainant needs to give his name, contact number, location and other details of the violation. He said these information are needed so they will be able to get in touch with the person but it will be kept confidential unless the complainant himself files the case. “The whole idea here is to get the public to report these violations. Basically, this is social media versus guns, goons and gold. That’s the philosophy we are working on,” said Jimenez. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News

Manual polls an option only for worst-case scenario — Brillantes

News

Feb 072013

Manual polls an option only for worst-case scenario — Brillantes

Manual election is still an option in May, but only for the worst-case scenario, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Thursday. “Manual is the final contingency kung talagang may mangyaring grabe na talagang hindi na matutuloy [ang automation],” Brillantes told reporters. Although Brillantes said they are ready for such eventuality, he expressed confidence that the present situation does not call for the manual conduct of elections. “Hindi naman tayo pupunta sa manual. The law already requires automation,” he said. He also said they are not giving weight to proposals to revert to manual polls. “Meron din kaming contingency in the event na kailangang mag-manual, pero hindi namin masyadong pinapansin ‘yan dahil hindi naman kami naniniwalang kailangan naming mag-manual,” the Comelec chief said. Members of the minority bloc at the House of Representatives on Wednesday said they would be “more comfortable” with a manual election after some glitches were observed during the mock elections held over the weekend in preparation for the May automated polls. During the mock polls held in various areas last Saturday, some glitches were encountered in transmitting the results and feeding the ballots to the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS). Brillantes, who said the mock polls generally went “smoothly” despite the glitches, said those who want manual elections should repeal Republic Act 9369, which mandates the automated casting and counting of votes. Section 1 of the Poll Automation Law states that: “It is policy of the State to ensure free, orderly, honest, peaceful, credible and informed elections… Read More …

1.1M ballots printed so far; Comelec chief not impressed

News

Feb 072013

1.1M ballots printed so far; Comelec chief not impressed

Some 1.1 million ballots for the May 13 automated elections have been printed by the National Printing Office (NPO) three days after it started its work, Commission Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Thursday. But Brillantes was quick to admit that the printing was not as fast as expected. “Ngayon mga one million one na siguro (1.1 million ang napi-print), which is mahina yun, mahina yun,” he told reporters. The NPO earlier said that it can print 650,000 ballots per day during the first week and 1 million per day on the second and following weeks. A total of 52,014,648 ballots, which is equivalent to one ballot per voter, should be printed for the May elections. The printing started before midnight of February 4 and is expected to be finished 81 days after or on April 25. The NPO and Comelec earlier expressed confidence the printing of the ballots can be done in 65 days. Printing stopped Brillantes said he received report that the printing was stopped earlier Thursday. NPO assistant director Raul Nagrampa said they paused the printing to allow the loading of the images of ballots for other provinces and to conduct maintenance work. The NPO has completed the printing of ballots for South and North Cotabato. “Nag-pause lang. They loaded files to shift from Cotabato province to Region 4B, Sulu, and Region 2. Also did maintenance na rin. Resuming na (ang printing),” Nagrampa said in a text message to GMA News Online. He added that of the Read More …

Comelec to retain aggregate airtime for candidates

News

Jan 312013

Comelec to retain aggregate airtime for candidates

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has decided to keep the shorter or aggregate time limit on the advertisement of candidates for the May elections, poll chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Friday. “Pina-finalize na namin,” he said, referring to Resolution 9615. “We will retain the aggregate [time limit with some changes in right of reply,” Brillantes told reporters. Interviewed at the sideline of the retirement ceremony for Commissioners Rene Sarmiento and Armand Velasco, Brillantes said he expects to see the final copy of the resolution within the day so Sarmiento and Velasco, who will retire on February 2, will be able to sign it. He said the amended resolution may be released on Monday. GMA Network Inc. and Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas have earlier asked the Comelec to reconsider its resolution. — Amita O. Legaspi/KBK, GMA News

Ballot printing to start Feb 4 — NPO

News

Jan 272013

More than 52 million ballots for the May 2013 midterm elections are set for printing next week, February 4, an official of the National Printing Office (NPO) said Monday. Assistant Director Raul Nagrampa told GMA News Online that the NPO can have a minimum of 670,000 to a maximum of one million ballots to be printed per day, for them to meet their last delivery date of printed ballots on April 25. The printing will run for 54 to a maximum of 81 days, Nagrampa said. “As far as NPO is concerned, ready to go na kami… The papers are already here,” Nagrampa said in a phone interview. The state-run NPO was tasked by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to head the procurement process of the printing and supply of ballot papers. Nagrampa said they are expecting a shorter ballot after the Comelec purged the number of qualified party-list groups to 123, including the slew of party-lists axed by the poll body but granted a reprieve by the Supreme Court. This is a decrease from the 187 party-lists which participated in the 2010 elections. “We’re anticipating a shorter (ballot) kasi una, na-purge ‘yung party-list. Walang president or vice president. ‘Yun lang naman nakakapagpahaba,” Nagrampa said. The maximum length of the ballot paper may range from 25 to 26 inches, Nagrampa said. Meanwhile, the ballots for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) may be longer at 29 inches since it includes an Arabic translation. He added that the three printers Read More …

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