Hillary Clinton herself ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2007-2008.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has issued a press statement congratulating  Noynoy Aquino for winning the race for the Philippine presidency.

Clinton’s greetings follows that of British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was himself only recently appointed to the post.

Clinton, who ran against then-Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, said that Filipinos “to carry forward the democratic traditions that his parents did so much to champion.”

Here is the full text of Clinton’s statement:

I join President Obama in congratulating President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, whom the Filipino people have chosen to lead their nation. The Philippines’ successful election exemplified the vitality of the country’s democratic institutions and should be a point of pride for Filipinos everywhere. The Filipino people now look to President-elect Aquino to carry forward the democratic traditions that his parents did so much to champion. The United States has long stood with the Philippines as a trusted ally and friend and we will continue to support the ongoing efforts of the Filipino people to build a secure and prosperous country.

Is change coming to US-Philippine relations under Aquino?

US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry K. Thomas Jr. immediately congratulated President-elect Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” C. Aquino Jr. and Vice President-elect Jejomar “Jojo” C. Binay  upon their proclamation today by a joint session of Congress.

The US is known to maintain economic, political, military and diplomatic interests in the Philippines, a former US colony.

Congratulating Aquino and Binay on their election victories, Thomas affirmed — in a statement released shortly after the proclamation ceremonies — what he described as “a long and deep relationship with the Philippines, a treaty ally whose soldiers have fought alongside ours in World War II and subsequent conflicts.”

“We look forward to working with the new Philippine government to deepen the unwavering friendship and partnership between our two nations, and to advance our common goals for the benefit of the Southeast Asia region and the world,” said Thomas, who recently assumed the post as top US diplomat in the Philippines.

Thomas earlier led the procession of foreign ambassadors who have congratulated Aquino ahead of the congressional canvass and proclamation.

Thomas also said that the US and the Philippines “share common values and common goals designed to make our world more secure and more prosperous”.

“We cooperate closely on regional security, counterterrorism, and in combating transnational crime, including the scourge of trafficking in persons. Our two governments work together to open markets, protect intellectual property rights, fight corruption, and encourage economic growth and development,” he added.

An undetermined number of US soldiers are currently stationed in parts of Mindanao where they are officially providing assistance to Philippine counterparts in operations against local bandits with purported links to Al Qaeda.

In his three-year stint in the Senate, Aquino were among the senators who have voiced support to calls for the review of the Visiting Forces Agreement which govern the entry and conduct of US military presence in the Philippines.

The US Congress, through committtees and senior members of both the US Senate and the US House of Representatives, has deplored human rights violations that marked the regime of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The US Congress has attached human rights preconditions to ertain portions of US military aid to the Philippines, including a stop to and investigation of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances documented by national and international organizations and by the United Nations special rapporteur on political killings.

Aquino, Roxas and Drilon lead OAV tally

The Department of Foreign Affairs-Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat (DFA-OAVS) which supervised and oversaw the conduct of voting by Filipinos living and working abroad has submitted to the Commission on Elections the results of its counting and canvassing of votes.

The results are contained in the certificates of canvass and election returns which the DFA has turned over to the Comelec.

Only about 153,300 Filipinos cast their votes via OAV, said the DFA. This is a small fraction of the estimated 10 million overseas Filipinos.

Only Hong Kong and Singapore held automated elections. In most other countries, voting was through personal voting at precincts or through postal voting.

The DFA announced this tally today:

President

• Noynoy Aquino 68,281 votes
• Bro. Eddie Villanueva 17,702
• Manny Villar 14,974
• Gibo Teodoro 11,505 votes
• Joseph Estrada 6,653
• Dick Gordon 5,496
• JC delos Reyes 196
• Jamby Madrigal 196
• Nick Perlas 178
• Vetellano Acosta 128

Vice President

• Mar Roxas 67,395
• Loren Legarda 17,136
• Jojo Binay 16,395
• Jun Yasay 12,011
• Bayani Fernando 7,933
• Edu Manzano 2,462
• Jay Sonza 645
• Jun Chipeco 183

Senators

1. Frank Drilon 72,319
2. Miriam Defensor Santiago 70,404
3. Bong Revilla 59,606
4. Pia Cayetano 55,206
5. Ralph Recto 54,741
6. Jinggoy Estrada 53,477
7. Juan Ponce Enrile 52,317
8. Bongbong Marcos 48,038
9. TG Guingona 45,245
10. Tito Sotto 43,820
11. Serge Osmena 43,576
12. Sonia Roco 37,801

Congress has yet to proclaim apparent president-elect Noynoy Aquino

Even as Noynoy Aquino waits for his proclamation by Congress as president-elect, more and more Filipinos are raising valid, legitimate concerns on the conduct of the elections and hopes for the new presidency, as we can see from this roundup.

• The unsung heroes of the elections, our public school teachers, have yet to be honored and paid for their services
• A think-tank asks Aquino not to entertain suggestions for new taxes
• More reports of fraud are trickling in, eating away at the supposed credibility of the election outcome at various levels
• Violence persists as a factor especially in places away from the media spotlight
• Warlordism continues to deny people the benefits of democracy
• Foreign observers from 11 countries are unimpressed by the conduct elections and presented their findings to Sen. Chiz Escudero
• The Ampatuans are keeping their political power
• The automated election system has so far fended off calls for review, criticisms from third parties, etc.
• The era of internet- and mobile-powered election coverage has arrived — but this report sadly ignored the stellar role of Blogwatch.ph while lumping bloggers (who don’t belong to media agencies) together with new media efforts of the big networks.
• The citizen coverage mounted by #juanvote included apolitical/non-political netizens such as gaming bloggers.

Election Day in Makati City. Photo by Anton Sheker of Blogwatch.ph.

What do you think about the conduct and outcome of the May 10 elections?

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) released a post-election statement which perhaps reflects the sentiments of organized labor and their advocates.

On the automated elections, the CTUHR said:

While it seems there is general satisfaction on the AES, its credibility stills needs to be proven beyond doubt. The AES is highly technical and allows very little room for public scrutiny and transparency, especially when verification facility or process was removed from the machine just few days before the election. And now, several days after the election, allegations of irregularities are surfacing. Losing presidential candidates have refused to concede, not that they expected to win but because they contend the truth about this election had to come out. An interesting case for instance is the bloated number of voting population in the released official national canvass results in the first day of canvassing (May 13) wherein the official canvass bore a total of 158 million registered voters which is thrice the estimated registered voters and well over the country’s total population of 94 million. The SMARTMATIC was quick enough to answer what was considered a “minor” glitch, and was able to correct the data the following day.

Remarkable! Yet the public’s very limited understanding of the process and absence of transparency how it happened also limited its capacity to further inquire into that “minor” error, but definitely left clouds of serious doubts on that amazing technical efficiency. This leaves the call for independent and impartial investigation imperative, not only to straighten the records but to give justice to those whose votes are wasted or lost, deliberately or not, in the myriad of technical hitches.

While regarding the incoming administration of apparent president-elect Noynoy Aquino, the CTUHR said:

The bursting hope for change and upliftment that propelled the people to brave the punitive heat in precincts is perhaps the biggest challenge that the new administration has to contend. As promises were made during the campaign, so were the expectations, and tinkering with these expectations will be a dangerous road to tread.

Without sounding cynical, the Philippines is sure to have new government, and that in itself is a people’s triumph. Except that so called campaigners of Aquino-Roxas tandem seem to place old faces — former members of Arroyo government who jumped ship when it was about to sink and transfer to a more convenient boat—into the incoming Aquino administration. New government, old faces in the cabinet? The people have to be vigilant afterall, as Sen Aquino said in his political ads, he owes his campaign to the people.

Read the whole statement here.

Hong Kong

For President
Noynoy Aquino 19,606 votes
Eddie Villanueva 8,327
Manuel Villar 5,622 votes.
Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (2,556)
Joseph Estrada 1,980
Richard Gordon 945
Vetellano Acosta (58)
Jamby Madrigal 30
John Carlos delos Reyes 26
Nicanor Perlas 20

For Vice President
Mar Roxas 19,837 votes
Loren Legarda 6,885
Perfecto Yasay 6,353
Jejomar Binay 4,083
Bayani Fernando 998
Eduardo Manzano 639
Jose Sonza 103
Dominador Chipeco 20

1. Bong Revilla 22,020
2. Ralph Recto 20,495
3. Franklin Drilon 19,982
4. Jinggoy Estrada 19,946
5. Miriam Defensor-Santiago 19,739
6. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 18,555
7. Juan Ponce Enrile 16,479
8. Vicente Sotto III 14,262
9. Pilar Juliana Cayetano 13,817
10. Serge Osmena III 11,690
11. Jose de Venecia III 11,263
12. Teofisto Guingona III (10,853).

The DFA said that only 39,383 out of 95,355 voters cast their ballots in 96 clustered precincts.

Singapore

Noynoy Aquino 4,949 votes
Manuel Villar 1,314
Richard Gordon 1,105
Gilbert Teodoro Jr. 1,024
Eddie Villanueva 711
Joseph Estrada 345
Jamby Madrigal 19
Nicanor Perlas 19
Vetellano Acosta 17
JC Delos Reyes 12

For Vice President
Mar Roxas 5,017 votes
Loren Legarda 1,617
Bayani Fernando 1,060
Jejomar Binay 1,056
Perfecto Yasay 386
Eduardo Manzano 247
Jose Sonza 71
Dominador Chipeco 15

For Senators:
1. Ralph Recto 5,651
2. Miriam Defensor-Santiago 5,534
3. Franklin Drilon 5,472
4. Pilar Juliana Cayetano 4,394
5. Bong Revilla 4,373
6. Sergio Osmena III 4,085
7. Ferdinand Marcos III 3,906
8. Juan Ponce Enrile 3,899
9. Teofisto Guingona III 3,825
10. Vicente Sotto III 3,711
11. Jinggoy Estrada 3,120
12. Sonia Roco tied with Jose de Venecia III 2,679

Turnout in Singapore is lower: Only 9,588 out of 31,851 cast their ballots in 32 clustered precincts, said the DFA

FYI: Voting extended to 7:00 pm, and May 11 not a holiday.

2:40 pm: Voting in Precinct No. 5564 at Bgy. Teachers Village East in Quezon City has been suspended due to overheated PCOS machine.

TIP: Send reports via email to report@juanvote.com

1:53 pm: Butuan City, Caraga: Cluster 42, PCOS machine stopped taking in ballots. BEIs temporarily stopped voting.

1:21 pm: Less than two hours before Overseas Absentee Voting ends in about a hundred Philippine embassies and consulates worldwide.

12:58 pm: After reported crashes, the official Commission on Elections website crawls back to life.

12:28 pm: Slow pace of voting being reported in many areas.

12:04 pm: A woman who died nine years ago is still in the List of Voters. Her name entry now bears a different photo and thumbmark! – Tandang Sora High School, Quezon City

12:00 noon: Robinsons Midtown mall in Ermita, Manila opens two hours later than usual, to giv employees time to vote.

11:30 pm: The PCOS machine assigned to the precinct where Liberal Party standard-bearer Noynoy Aquino is registered malfunctioned.

9:05 am: Illegal campaigning by candidates’ supporters noted in voting centers in several places nationwide.

TIP: Use hashtags #juanvote and #purplethumb when Tweeting about today’s elections.

8:47 am: Chaotic atmosphere at Pasolo Elementary School, cluster 107 and 108. Poor ventilation. No problems with PCOS machine though, says Peter of Creative Voices/#juanvote.

Tip: Send a photo to #juanvote via photos@juanvote.com. Attach photo and put both the caption and #juanvote on email subject line.

8:38 am: One PCOS machine at Xavier School, San Juan, was malfunctioning, according to Monchito Nocon of 100ARAW.com and #juanvote.

7:35 am: GNN Channel 21 of Destiny Cable starts livestream on the #juanvote website.

7:30 am: Six precincts at Coral na Bato Elementary School, San Rafael, Bulacan, cramped in one small room, under one cluster.

7:00 am: Voting got underway across the Philippines with bloggers and other netizens belonging to #juanvote reporting late start of voting in some clustered precincts.

Adios to the presidential campaign! Photo collage grabbed from pinoygigs.com.

I’m glad that the campaign period is over. I say goodbye to the drama, the mudslinging and the hate that comes with the campaign along with this other pet peeves:

1. I want my kids to unlearn those campaign jingles. Adee can sing Villar’s campaign lyrics by heart and I heard Joshwa trying to sing Risa Hontiveros’ campaign jingle.

2. Showbiz people who exploit their popularity by running for public office. Who unfortunately get elected but never do anything while in office.They think that politics and showbiz should go together because its the next step . It doesn’t, It can’t and iet won’t. Not in this lifetime or the next.

3. The intense rivalry among candidates has triggered a slew of mudslinging.Political camps are stinging over the black propaganda their rivals have allegedly been spreading.

4. Twitter has become a crazy place ruled by rabid,ready to bite and pounce supporters.I hate the fact that these rabid supporters will fight you and ready to kill you figuratively and in worse case scenarios literally. Whatever happened to agreeing to disagree

5. Lawmakers who think that they have what it takes to join showbiz should they lose. In this election i think I’ve seen it all and heard it all. Some will exploit everything and anything to get elected. From their past to their present and even their future. Family, friends and pets if they can get away with it.Nothing is sacred and nothing is excluded.

Gordon, an alumnus, topped the three rounds of university-wide automated mock elections

Botong Isko 2010, University of the Philippines’ system-wide electronic mock elections, has finally concluded with Richard Gordon winning all three rounds of voting.  

Teodoro and Aquino finished second and third respectively.

Bayani Fernando topped the vice-presidential candidates with Binay and Roxas as runners-up.

In the senatorial race, Santiago, Cayetano, Tamano, Hontiveros-Baraquel, Drilon, Remulla, Ocampo, Recto, Maza, Enrile, Osmeña and Marcos occupied the top 12 positions.

Kabataan Partylist meanwhile still emerged as the UP students’ top party-list choice.

The UP Linux Users’ Group (UnPLUG) spearheaded the mock polls together with Kasama sa UP, Solidaridad, Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP (STAND-UP), League of College Councils, National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) and other partner organizations.

Here are the results for the last and third round:

President

Vice President

Senators (Top 24)

Party-List (Top 20)

For a complete tally of results, visit the official Botong Isko 2010 results website.

No stopping #juanvote on May 10!

Members of the #juanvote network met today in Makati City and adopted a Netizens’ Guide on the May 10 elections.

We urge everyone to forward, repost and distribute this guide. Questions and suggestions are much welcome at report@juanvote.com

Pinoy Netizens Guide to May 10 by #juanvote