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

Individuals and groups interested in watching and monitoring the May 10 elections are gathered today at the University of the Philippines’ University Hotel for the National Conference on Citizen Election Monitoring.

Spearheaded by the Computer Professionals Union and a host of partner-organizations, the conference aims “to update the ICT sector with the current situation of the 2010 automated elections, showcase the different ICT initiatives being conducted to monitor the elections, and express solidarity with the rest of the ICT sector to help uphold the integrity of this democratic exercise in a concerted effort”.

Present at the conference are representatives from Center for People Empowerment and Governance (CenPEG), AES Watch, Kontra Daya, Google, Workers Election Watch, Blogwatch.ph and 100ARAW.com.

Participants are to sign a pledge for a fraud-free polls at the end of the conference.

Watch the livestream now:

Live TV by Ustream

Overseas Filipino workers arriving home in Manila. Photo grabbed from jonie.net.

An OFW organization in the Middle East has come out with suggestions on how to improve turnout in the overseas absentee voting (OAV).

“There is still time remaining for the COMELEC Committee on OAV (COAV) and the various RP posts to find pro-active and doable ways and means to increase OAV turnout,” said Migrante-Middle East regional director John Leonard Monterona.

Monterona said the COMELEC-COAV should seriously consider starting mobile voting by setting-up polling precincts via ‘Embassy on Wheels’ program reach registered overseas voters who are far away from the Philippine embassies and consulates.

This is especially crucial in areas such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait  OFWs are spread out away from the embassies and consulates, said Monterona.

Citing figures released by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Monterona said that turnout in Saudi Arabia has been dismal: In Riyadh, only 2,639 have cast their votes or five percent of the 52,869 registered voters there; Turnout is lower in Jeddah where only 1,646 voters (four percent turnout) have found time to go to the consulate.

The highest OAV turnouts have been recorded in Hong Kong and Singapore, which have miniscule land areas compared to others and where the automated election system is being used.

Monterona pointed out that a number of Filipinos have to travel for a whole day to reach the Riyadh embassy or the Jeddah consulate to register before or to vote until May 10.  “We told the COMELEC and the DFA about this during the registration period.”

“The distance and the travel expense are hindrances for OFWs,” said Monterona.

In very faraway areas, the DFA and the COMELEC should maximize postal voting,” he said.

Dubbed “Botong Isko 2010″, the mock polls seeks to raise UP students’ interest in the May 10 elections.

A third and final round of the mock polls would be held from May 3 to 7.

Senators Richard Gordon (president), Mar Roxas (vice president) and Miriam Defensor Santiago (senator) topped the first round of the mock polls.

Comelec has released local ballot templates down to the district level or what should appear as your official ballot on Election Day.

Find a copy of how the official ballot to be used in your precinct in the Comelec website.

Following are sample ballots containing only the candidates for national posts:

Sample official ballot for the May 10 elections

Sample official ballot for the May 10 elections in ARMM

Labor leaders of Mindanao to watch for poll fraud.

Workers and trade unionists in southern Mindanao are set to launch their own poll watch project on April 17, 10:00 am at Paterno’s Restaurant, Aurora Quezon City, Davao City.

WE Watch (Workers Electoral Watch) is a project spearheaded by the Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER) with support from the European Union. It was launched in Manila in February.

About 30 labor leaders are expected to grace the WE Watch launch in Davao City.

WE Watch aims to provide workers with basic knowledge about the Automated Election System (AES) and to train them to join an SMS-based mechanism for monitoring electoral fraud.

589,830 overseas Filipinos are registered for the overseas absentee voting, said the DFA.

Citing a report from the Philippine consulate-general in Hong Kong, the DFA statement said that about 1,000 overseas voters already cast their ballots in the former British colony.

The DFA identified the first voter in Hong Kong as domestic helper Rowena dela Cruz who camped out in the Bayanihan Center since Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the first voter in Singapore was Lydia Deligente, who the DFA said “commented that the automated mode of voting was much easier compared to the manual mode she used during the 2004 elections”.

Hong Kong and Singapore are the only places where automated elections are being held.