Iloilo solons should shun ‘Inday Sara’ impeachment

“Every time there's an institutional issue like impeachment, there's concern from the outside about what will happen.”

—Michel Temer

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

TWO of the most likely Iloilo solons who might vote in favor of the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio are Iloilo first district Rep. Janette Loreto-Garin and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Danniel Abellar Manuel.

As of this writing, however, there was no such audacious move from the Lower House yet even if the vice president has been acting like Aspasia, who urged Pericles to crush the island of Samos, Miletus' old rival, and to provoke war with Sparta.

There have been no impeachment tocsins even if the vice president has been bellyaching the solons were clandestinely trying to tighten the noose around her.

For this, we implore the other Iloilo solons—or those from Western Visayas and Negros Island Region—to move away from any scuttlebutt about impeaching the second highest elected official of the Philippines.

If they cannot help abort or thwart any impeachment plot—just in case there is one—at least they must not be part of it.

The last thing the Philippines needs today is a strenuous and counterproductive political process like impeachment.

 

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Any move or attempt to remove a duly elected high public official before and even after the midterm elections will always be messy especially for a country wracked by interminable political and economic instability like the Philippines.

It will galvanize the malcontents who think our leaders have the temerity to prioritize political bickering over lowering the prices of basic commodities and agricultural products like rice and other staple food, safeguarding our OFWs, generating employment opportunities, building more infrastructure projects like farm-to-market roads, building more schools, economic prosperity, among other urgent social necessities.

Loreto-Garin and Manuel have been visible and active in various committee hearings in the House of Representatives where Duterte-Carpio’s tension-filled participation had sparked ugly swapping of insults between her and numerous solons; the tumults became the talk of the town and even hot topics in the social media.

Several solons have repeatedly denied there’s a move to impeach Vice President Duterte-Carpio, accused of mishandling her P125-million “confidential” funds in 2022 (the Commission on Audit has issued a notice of disallowance in P73 million of the total amount).

 

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Some of them, however, have started to openly castigate her for disrespecting the House of Representatives and refusing to explain how the Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent the controversial funds.

If the solons want to put the vice president in her proper place, so to speak, the most effective means, I think, should be to let her say what she wants to say in public, let her perform the kind of performance she wishes to accomplish in public—and let the people decide.

If she opts to commit a political hara-kiri by her nondescript and bizarre verbal and optical acrobatics, it’s her call.

A visual and graphic evidence of skullduggery shown “live” on television and even the social media constitute a sufficient weaponry to crush a political personality wishing to destroy her or his own legacy.

By all means, steer clear of any impeachment imbroglio. Not now. Not in the near future, not under the present administration.

Filipinos need to preserve their energy and focus their attention on the more thorny melee: a diplomatic slugfest vis-à-vis Chinese bullying in the West Philippine Sea.

China hasn’t done with our ships plying the Ayungin Shoal yet. We are facing a bigger battle in our quest to protect and defend our sovereign rights against the ultra-aggressive and numerically superior behemoth.

In order to tie an elephant, Filipinos need to unite first, not to impeach erratic and recalcitrant leaders like “Inday Sara” while in the bigger picture, China is preparing to bury its teeth on our pride, dignity, sovereignty.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

Will errors belie Harris’ ‘wide’ lead vs Trump in latest poll?

“Leaders are responsible not for running public opinion polls but for the consequences of their actions.”

—Henry Kissinger

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WHEN errors in the 2016 and 2026 U.S. general elections occurred, confidence in public opinion polling was reportedly shaken.

These errors laid bare some real limitations of polling, according to Pew Research Center’s Scott Keeter and Courtney Kennedy, who claimed many polls underestimated the strength of Republican candidates, including Donald Trump.

In the midterms that followed those elections, polling reportedly performed better even as many Americans remained skeptical that it can paint an accurate portrait of the public’s political preferences.

Restoring people’s confidence in polling is an important goal, because robust and independent public polling has a critical role to play in a democratic society, stressed Keeter and Kennedy.

They emphasized that it gathers and publishes information about the well-being of the public and about citizens’ views on major issues. And it provides an important counterweight to people in power, or those seeking power, when they make claims about “what the people want.”

The challenges facing polling are undeniable, asserted the Pew Research Center writers. In addition to the longstanding issues of rising nonresponse and cost, summer 2024 reportedly brought extraordinary events that transformed the presidential race.

 

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“The good news is that people with deep knowledge of polling are working hard to fix the problems exposed in 2016 and 2020, experimenting with more data sources and interview approaches than ever before. Still, polls are more useful to the public if people have realistic expectations about what surveys can do well–and what they cannot,” they wrote.

Pollsters are reportedly making changes in response to the problems in previous elections. As a result, polling is different today than in 2016. Most U.S. polling organizations that conducted and publicly released national surveys in both 2016 and 2022 (61 percent) used methods in 2022 that differed from what they used in 2016. And change has continued since 2022.

Keeter and Kennedy observed that one change is that the number of active polling organizations has grown significantly, indicating that there are fewer barriers to entry into the polling field. The number of organizations that conduct national election polls more than doubled between 2000 and 2022.

“This growth has been driven largely by pollsters using inexpensive opt-in sampling methods. But previous Pew Research Center analyses have demonstrated how surveys that use nonprobability sampling may have errors twice as large, on average, as those that use probability sampling,” they added.

The second change is that many of the more prominent polling organizations that use probability sampling–including Pew Research Center-have reportedly shifted from conducting polls primarily by telephone to using online methods, or some combination of online, mail and telephone. The result is that polling methodologies are far more diverse now than in the past.

 

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CHESS prodigy Nika Juris Nicolas became the youngest awardee of the Natatanging Pasigueño in the Field of Sports & Sports Development, an award given in celebration of the National Heroes Day on August 26 in Pasig City, which awarded its modern-day heroes in its Gawad Parangal sa Mga Natatanging Pasigueño in Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasig. 

Nicolas, 12, was born, raised and educated in Pasig City. The incoming Grade 7 student at Victory Christian International School, is the Philippines’ first and only National Chess Master who is female, a title given only to those who emerge triumphant in the Open Division of chess tournaments as opposed to the Women Division.

In a span of two years, this chess beginner blossomed to a National Youth Champion, Asian Youth Medalist, Woman National Master, Eastern Asia Silver Medalist, Batang Pinoy Champion, National Master and Woman Candidate Master (FIDE)-elect.

Nicolas thanked her family, nominators Franco Camillo of Pasig Grassroots and Raymond Samson of the Valle Verde 6 Homeowners‘ Association, Coaches Raul Damuy, Lourecel Ecot, Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna and Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales and the National Chess Federation of the Philippines. She made special mention of Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and Pasig Congressman Roman Romulo who supported her journey from the time she started competing in tournaments up to present time.

She offered her Double Gold Medals secured from the Chinese Taipei Chess Association International Open Tournament held in Taoyuan, Taiwan last July 22–27, 2024 where she made history as the first Filipina to achieve such feat.

Pasig Councilor and Chairperson of the Committee on Culture and Tourism Angelu De Leon noted that the Gawad Parangal sa Mga Natatanging Pasigueño is a longstanding tradition of Pasig in recognizing the lives and achievements of outstanding Pasigueños which was first celebrated on the 421st Araw ng Pasig in 1994.

She added that since its inception, this award has evolved through decades as a source of great pride and inspiration for Pasigueños everywhere.

The 2024 Selection Committee for the Award consisted of luminaries in their respective fields namely Aljon Patrick Acupan, Jared Carlo L. Echevarria, Randy Carlos Guevarra, Dr. Wensley M. Reyes, Noel T. Rivera, Maria Victoria L. Santiago and Dr. Jesus Rodrigo F. Torres.

The other recipients of the Natatanging Pasigueño Award 2024 were Dr. Nestor T. Castro (Education and the Academe), William I. Sidayon, Jr. (Civic Involvement and Volunteerism), Francis Gabriel O. Santos  (Youth Leadership), Cipriano M. De Guzman, Jr. (Culture and the Arts–Music), Stephen T. Viñas (Culture and the Arts–Theatre), Christopher Simoun C. Andres (Culture and the ArtsFashion Design) and Victor Francesco C. Cham (Culture and the Arts–Painting).

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

No to Davao trip; Iloilo cops should mind own business

“Each day, millions of police officers do the selfless work of putting their lives on the line to protect civilians, frequently responding to or preventing crises completely with no recognition.”

—Letitia James

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WE don’t agree with the decision of the Police Regional Office (PRO-6) to send 100 cops—50 from the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) and 50 from the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO)—to Davao City to augment the police forces there now encircling the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound and locating “most wanted” person Apollo Quiboloy.

Elements of the Police Regional Office (PRO-11) in Davao City led by regional director, Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III, have descended upon the KOJC compound to serve the warrant for the arrest of 74-year-old Quiboloy and other accused for human trafficking, child abuse, and sexual abuse of women.

Unless it is a matter of imminent danger to security of the state, IPPO and ICPO policemen should not leave their barracks as they have their own areas of responsibility to secure like other Philippine National Police (PNP) members deployed in other regions all over the archipelago.

 

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Iloilo cops should mind their own business. Davao cops should show their mettle and finish what they have started. They should wrap up their assignments without intercession from other units across the oceans.

They are hot after the heels of a nervous and cowardly fugitive, and it seems it’s now only a matter of time before they will corner the Lilliputian.

They aren’t up against heavily armed bandits and suicidal maniacs. Davao cops don’t need a big delegation of reinforcements from other regions. All they need is rest and report back to where the “action” is—if necessary.

We are against the deployment to Davao because what if—God forbid—during the Iloilo-based cops’ transit or “temporary” stay in Davao City, a major peace and order crisis suddenly occurs in the city and province of Iloilo that necessitated the presence of more policemen to augment the local forces?

Unless the PRO-11 cops have been clobbered and wiped out by criminal elements or terrorists and there’s a need to deploy more lawmen in war-torn zones, IPPO and ICPO cops, as well as other cops in other regions, should not leave the civilian populace that they secure.

 

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The necessity of sending augmentation forces to other regions has many considerations. And hunting down a suspected criminal and his cohorts reportedly hiding in a bunker should not be one of them.

Taxpayers can’t afford to waste additional money for the trip from Iloilo to Davao of the 100 policemen who will have to travel by air and get special allowances for the “extra” job.

As per directives by the PRO-6 led by regional director, Brigadier General Jack Wanky, IPPO and ICPO uniformed personnel will reportedly leave their posts temporarily to “support” or back up their comrades in Davao City who may have been exhausted after several days of helping secure the KOJC compound where the religious cult leader and his co-accused in criminal cases were believed to be hiding since August 24.

Stay in Iloilo. Ilonggos need the Iloilo cops more than the ongoing operations in Davao against Quiboloy, et al.

 

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“I don’t give a damn about Trump,” says Debbie Nederlof, Instagram influencer who lives in Germany. The 32-year-old is angry that photos of her and other women are being used by a phony campaign on X backing Donald Trump ahead of November’s presidential election.

TIME TO DRAW THE LINE. I have adopted objectivism as a personal philosophy. When the pride and dignity of my countrymen is under siege, I have to draw a demarcation line. In the Philippines, we treat all members of the Armed Forces as heroes and national treasures like our OFWs. They mean everything to us. We have the moral obligation to protect and defend them when push comes to shove.

SIX MORE BODIES. Astronomers have spotted six celestial bodies within a cosmic cloud using the James Webb Space Telescope. The objects are reportedly slightly bigger than Jupiter, and the observations are shedding light on how stars and planets form across the universe.

TOO LATE THE HERO. If Police Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido, former police chief of Albuera, Leyte, said the unfavorable words against now senators Ronald “Bato Dela Rosa and Bong Go when he was still the “poster boy” of the war on drugs during the Duterte administration, Filipinos would have hailed him as hero. It appears Espenido is now saving his own neck and career because former President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte is no longer in power. Did he feel bad that he was never “promoted” or given juicy privileges when Mr. Duterte was still in power?  

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

Who is leading in latest US presidential race poll

“People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.”

—Otto von Bismarck

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THERE are significant shifts in the 2024 U.S. presidential race based on a new poll as of August 27 from the Florida Atlantic University Political Communication and Public Opinion Research Lab (PolCom Lab) and Mainstreet Research USA, underscoring deep gender and racial divides among voters across the United States.

According to the most recent report by Joshua Glanzer of PolCom Lab, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has taken the lead over former U.S. President Donald Trump nationally, with 47 percent of voters supporting her compared to Trump’s 43 percent.

Among likely voters, Harris leads 49 percent to 45 percent. She has gained strong support among women, with 53 percent backing her, while 45 percent of men favor her. Trump’s base remains predominantly male, with 47 percent support from men, compared to 41 percent from women.

Harris also holds substantial advantages among Black voters (73 percent), Hispanic voters (51 percent), and white college-educated voters (57 percent). Trump, however, continues to command strong support among white voters without a college degree, with 59 percent favoring him.

 

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“Since her elevation to the top of the ticket, Vice President Harris has effectively appealed to women voters, and the gender gap has become more pronounced,” said Luzmarina Garcia, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science at FAU. “Harris has also reestablished the Democratic Party’s advantage with minority voters.”

Trump’s support reportedly erodes among Independents. Harris has also made significant inroads among independent voters, now capturing 48 percent of their support, compared to Trump’s 35 percent. This marks a notable shift from July when Independents were more evenly split, with 45 percent backing Harris and 43 percent supporting Trump.

“Trump is losing support from Independents compared to July, which could be a result of the Democratic Party convention and remains to be watched,” said Dukhong Kim, Ph.D., associate professor of political science at FAU. “If this pattern persists, it will be difficult for Trump to maintain an advantage in the election.”

Election Anxiety: Mixed Emotions Ahead of 2024. The poll reveals a stark emotional divide as the election approaches, with negative emotions slightly outweighing positive ones by 44 percent to 41 percent. This emotional split becomes more pronounced when viewed through the lens of voting intentions:

Harris supporters: 52 percent positive, 35 percent negative; Trump supporters: 34 percent positive, 49 percent negative; Undecided voters: 23 percent positive, 50 percent negative.

Notably, 27 percent of Democrats reported feeling excited about the election, while 32 percent of Republicans expressed fear.

“While Democrats seem energized by the Harris-Walz ticket, there’s a significant undercurrent of anxiety across the electorate,” said Carol Bishop Mills, Ph.D., professor of communication and co-director of the PolCom Lab. “These findings highlight the intense political polarization and uncertainty surrounding this election.”

 

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Our regular contributor, chess National Master Marlon Bernardino, has reported that Cebuana Lhuillier, the Philippines’ most trusted financial partner, recently presented double Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo with a bespoke set of gold bars in  the occasion marked not only by a tribute to Yulo’s remarkable achievements, but also a testament to Cebuana Lhuillier’s commitment to honor outstanding Filipino athletes and support Philippine sports.

Bernardino said Yulo, whose gymnastic prowess has captivated the world, received a one-of-a-kind set of gold bars meticulously crafted by Cebuana Lhuillier with one bar made and minted after his likeness. Each bar bears the weight of Yulo’s historic victories—the embodiment of dedication, discipline, and sheer talent.

At an exclusive event, Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier Chairman and Founder Ambassador Philippe Jones Lhuillier and Cebuana Lhuillier Senior Executive Vice President Philippe Andre Lhuillier personally bestowed the golden tribute upon Carlos Yulo. The room buzzed with excitement as Yulo held the gleaming bars—a tangible representation of his relentless pursuit of excellence.

 In a heartfelt address, Jean Henri Lhuillier shared his admiration for Carlos Yulo’s journey: “Today, we celebrate not just medals and records, but the indomitable spirit of a young man who defied odds, pushed boundaries, and made our nation proud. To Carlos, these gold bars symbolize more than metal—they represent your unwavering commitment to greatness. May they inspire you to continue reaching new heights.”

Ambassador Lhuillier also lauded Yulo’s triumphs saying he has eternally etched a legacy in Philippine history, much like how Cebuana Lhuillier endeavors to make a difference in the lives of Filipinos. He enthused: “As a company deeply rooted in Filipino culture, Cebuana Lhuillier recognizes that true wealth lies not only in material possessions but in the pursuit of dreams and the celebration of human achievement”.

Jean Henri, who is also President of the National Sports Association, fully understands how important sports development is to the country beginning from the grassroots level. It is for this reason that Cebuana Lhuillier Bank, which Jean Henri also spearheads, has given an undisclosed donation to the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines so as to entice more aspiring gymnasts to follow the path of Carlos and also go for the Olympic gold.

Apart from the new gold haul, Carlos was also given first class accommodations at Calatagan, Batangas’ premiere resort, Nawa Wellness, where he can relax and rejuvenate away from it all.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)