Can the Lid be kept on?

Asked by ANC’s Tina Palma if he would be agreeable to candidates for public office opening their medical and psychological records to scrutiny, presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino waffled and then mumbled something about public figures being also “entitled to privacy.” There is no way to interpret that answer except as “No” and this speaks volumes about the need of Mr. Aquino to keep his medical and psychological files private.

April 30 Rally with Senator Villar

To all volunteer organizations supporting Sen. Manny Villar’s candidacy:

Attached is the program/invitation for our political rally with Sen. Villar.

Dubbed as “Pagkakaisa ng Maralita para Tapusin ang Kahirapan”, the April 30 activity will serve as the volunteer organizations’ political contribution to MBV’s presidential campaign as we will be signing a covenant/manifesto of unity to rally behind Sen. Villar’s call to end poverty. The manifesto will also serve as our declaration endorsing Sen. Villar as the genuine people’s candidate.

MERALCO deal with Noynoy bared

CONSUMER groups identified with the Movement for Better Values (MBV) today picketed the Meralco office in Ortigas to protest the “unwarranted, exorbitant and unjust” increases in electricity rates.

The MBV also dared MERALCO to answer consumers’ concern that the P12.98 billion overcharged rates it had collected from its customers in 2004 and 2007 had, until now, not been investigated and refunded to the consumers because it was contributed by the Lopez family to Noynoy Aquino’s campaign fund.

Villar’s ma cries foul, tells son to be strong

“It pains and it almost kills.”

This was the reaction of the 86-year-old blind mother of Nacionalista Party presidential candidate Manny Villar amid the vicious attacks hurled against her son by his political opponents and critics, the latest of which was that the senator did not come from poverty.

“Nasasaktan ako sa pinagsasabi nila laban sa anak ko na halos ikamatay ko…… halos ikamatay ko,” Curita “Nanay Curing” Bamba Villar told reporters during a press conference at her home in Las Piñas.

She broke down in tears for a while that nearly called off the press conference.

Noynoy’s Endorsements – Opinion column of Jojo Robles, Manila Standard, April 23

16 Luzon lawmakers defect to Villar camp

Andal Jr. changes mind, says he’s for Noynoy

MANILA, Philippines – In a bizarre twist, a Muslim warlord accused of carrying out the Philippines’ worst political massacre on Tuesday said he is endorsing the candidacy of Liberal Party presidential candidate Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. said his family was now backing Aquino less than a week after he told ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol World that he was backing the candidacy of Nacionalista Party presidential bet Manny Villar.

“It was a family decision to support Noynoy Aquino,” he told reporters.

He then smiled as he flashed an “L” hand signal that is used by Aquino and is widely regarded as a symbol of clean government.

BlogWatch.ph: Villar camp: Claim on PSE pressure pure fiction

The camp of Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Sen. Manny Villar lashed back at former president Joseph Estrada and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile for peddling lies and deceiving the public regarding the propriety of the stock offering of his real estate company.

“Senator Villar is once again being tried publicly via the media by his political opponents. We challenge them to present documents if indeed they have any such credible documents to back their allegations,” said lawyer Nalen Rosero-Galang, chief legal officer for Villar.

A clincher

Ninoy himself sought psychiatric help for Noynoy.

I did not want to write about Noynoy’s mental sickness. In a political campaign season, it looked like black propaganda from rival politicians.

That was before I received information I could trust that the allegations about Noynoy’s mental illness were true. My source is apolitical but she was moved by her responsibility to her country. She decided to do her part to stop the prevarication of others who also knew. The stories about Noynoy’s mental illness are not ‘concoctions’ she said. These should not be dismissed. It should be proved.

The Luisita Swindle

The Hacienda Luisita case is a continuing swindle — the word seems appropriate — of the Filipino people. It began when the Cojuangco family used the people’s money to acquire the hacienda, but then turned its back on a loan covenant to distribute the land to farm workers after 10 years. It continues with the use of the people’s money to build an interchange and overpay the Cojuangco family for the right-of-way to connect the Subic-Clark expressway to Luisita, although this connection was for their private benefit. Will it end if family member Noynoy Cojuangco-Aquino becomes president?