The Makabayan Coalition Party yesterday called for the immediate proclamation of winning party-list groups, saying that the delay would also open the possibility for fraud.
“Comelec proclaimed the first six senators with only 72 CoCs (certificates of canvass) received, amid questions of legality. Why isn’t Comelec pushing the proclamation of winning party-list groups? With more than 110 CoCs canvassed and more than 28,292,869 party-list votes counted, it is time for the NBoC (National Board of Canvassers) to proclaim the clear winners in the party-list race. The delay only raises the possibility of fraud by losing party-list groups,” Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said.
The Bayan Muna representative explained that the NBoC told them that votes from untransmitted CoCs are very minimal of the total party-list votes and will not affect the current standing of most of the winning party-list groups.
“The Automated Election System Law endeavors to determine the will of the people in an expeditious manner. What is the Comelec waiting for? The commission should allay fears of vote shaving or padding by immediately proclaiming the clear winners in the party-list race,” Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano, for his part, said.
Colmenares recalled the 2010 elections where the NBoC proclaimed 61 percent of the total seat allocation for the party-list system pending overseas absentee voting. The uncanvassed votes then were higher.
As for her part Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Emmi de Jesus said that, “We did our own computation of the party-list seat allocation based on the Group Canvass Report of May 20 using the Carpio formula and without the 12 disqualified party-list groups. Bayan Muna and Gabriela are entitled to at least two seats in the House of Representatives.”
Bayan Muna yesterday filed with the NBoC a Motion to Proclaim Winning Party-lists in the May 2013 Elections.

With the latest survey results showing no fewer than 600,000 Filipino households experienced hunger in the first quarter of the year, Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano yesterday dared the newly elected senators to forego their political differences and start addressing the country’s worsening hunger problem.
“We challenge the winning senators, especially those from Team PNoy to concretely and decisively address the prevailing hunger in the country as shown in the latest Social Weather Station (SWS) survey indicating that 600,000 more Filipino households experienced hunger in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the last quarter of 2012,” Mariano said.
Based on the latest survey, 19.2 percent or almost four million Filipinos have experienced hunger in the past three months.
“Hunger is the twin-problem of poverty. The Aquino administration failed to do anything substantial to alleviate hunger in the Philippines. In fact, the government is responsible for all the factors that contributed to the overall state of hunger of Filipinos. For the past three years, Aquino condoned increase in the prices of petroleum and other basic goods and services. It also neglected repeated demands for a significant wage hike and continued the burdensome collection of value added tax (VAT),” the solon added.
“The winning senators must walk their talk. They must start delivering their campaign promises and address the woes of millions of Filipinos who voted for them,” Anakpawis nominee Fernando Hicap said.
“The data showed in the hunger survey could be conservative. The nationwide hunger incidence could be higher given the government’s constant inaction on spiraling prices of food and non-food items. Hunger is even more prevalent in provinces and far-flung places in the rural areas,” Hicap said.
“In rural areas, farmers who produce rice, corn and other staples are the ones who are often hungry,” the fisherfolk leader added.
Under the Aquino administration, hunger incidence was at its record-high of 23.8 percent in March 2012.
Based on the survey, overall hunger increased in all areas, except in Metro Manila where it declined to 21.7 percent or an estimated 615,000 families from 25.3 percent in the last survey period.
An estimate of 3.6 percent or 726,000 families experienced severe hunger, with Mindanao as the most affected (29.2 percent or 1.4 million families); Luzon (14.7 percent or 1.3 million families), and 15 percent  or 580,000 families in Visayas. Moderate hunger rates are also higher than 14-year averages in all areas nationwide.

The Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) yesterday condemned the plan of President Aquino’s family plan to dissolve Central Azucarera de Tarlac (CAT), saying the scheme was only meant to evade payment of P1.33 billion debt to its former agricultural workers in Hacienda Luisita.
The CAT is a sister company of Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI), and together are under Jose Cojuangco and sons. The officers and most of the members of the board of the HLI and the Azucarera are almost the same set, led by Pedro Cojuangco as chairman of the board and president.
HLI management has been saying all along that the P1.33 billion debt is all gone as it was already spent for legitimate corporate purposes. That is why the Supreme Court (SC) ordered Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to engage the services of a reputable accounting firm approved by the parties to audit the books of HLI and Centenary Holdings Inc. to find out if this is true.
However, lawyer Jobert Pahilga, counsel of Ambala, had earlier stated that when the stock distribution option (SDO) was implemented in 1989, “CAT was among the assets of HLI included on the determination of sharing.” As such he invoked the trust fund doctrine of the corporation law, saying “all HLI’s asset held in trust for the creditors, including Ambala, must get their just share and in this case, Ambala, must be paid P1.33 billion share.”
The planned dissolution of CAT comes at a time when the DAR sabotaged the auditing process as ordered by the SC by saying that there should be a unanimous decision by all parties in selecting the auditing firm.
The group said if the CAT should either be turned over to the agricultural worker-beneficiaries of Hacienda Luisita or if ever it is to be sold, the proceeds should be used to pay off the P1.33 billion debt of HLI to the agricultural workers.