The Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) survey, conducted from January 28 to February 3, showed that Aquino was the choice of 41.54 percent of the 3,000 respondents nationwide while Villar got only 30.63 percent, according to ABS-CBN News.

This meant that if the elections were held at that time, Aquino would have gotten 20.9 million votes while Villar would have received 15.4 million votes, based on the 50,380,085 registered voters as of January.

ABS-CBN added that deposed former President Joseph Etrada came in third in the TNS survey at 11.66 percent, followed by former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro (5.21 percent), televangelist Eddie Villanueva (2 percent), Sen. Richard Gordon (1.7 percent), and Sen. Jamby Mardigal (0.22 percent).

“I never lost the lead. This shows that the people really want change and, despite all the things that they’ve thrown at us, we’ve been able to convince our doubters that, with our track record, we can do it,” said Aquino when contacted for comment.

He said he has seen the survey results but would get a detailed briefing on it next week.

“This is quite comprehensive because it also has results for our senatorial slate and discusses the reasons why voters responded this or that way,” Aquino said.

He said that the TNS survey also showed his running-mate, Sen. Mar Roxas, leading over Nacionalista Party vice-presidential bet Loren Legarda by “over 20 percent.”

Aquino added that the C-5 controversy might have also affected Villar’s poll numbers. The TNS survey was conducted right after Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile came out with a damning report against Villar on the C-5 controversy and later accused the businessman of trying to bribe him for a more favorable report.

“The people now understand the C-5 controversy.… I’m an economist and it was a wastage of scarce resources that could have been used in other areas,” Aquino said.

The survey results are expected to be officially released on Sunday. According to its website, TNS maintains more than 600 full-time field interviewers “at any given time—the largest field interviewer base in the Philippines—bridging our archipelago’s 7,100 islands.”

TNS reportedly does the fieldwork for Pulse Asia. It added that “all interviews and data processing are done in-house to ensure quality.”

The firm said it maintains a consumer panel division, which is “a permanent, syndicated and representative sample of national urban and rural Philippines that is used to observe and measure continuously actual consumer purchasing behavior in 3,000 households.”

It added that it also has the largest “household access panel in the country with 8,000 members, providing our clients with a rich database of respondents, representative of 17 cities and municipalities in Metro Manila.”

When asked for comment about the TNS survey, NP spokesperson and senatorial candidate Gilbert Remulla said that they would rather wait for the next Pulse Asia and Social Weather Station surveys that were expected to come out in early March.

“First of all, we don’t know who commissioned [the TNS survey], how the questions were formulated, its methodology, what regions were surveyed. From what we know, it came from the Liberal Party,” Remulla said.

“We would rather wait for the SWS and Pulse Asia surveys which are non-commissioned and whose credibility has not been questioned,” he added.

Remulla said that the data gathering for the SWS and Pulse Asia has already started and the results could be out by March 7.

He also noted that the TNS survey was taken “just a few days” after a Pulse Asia survey showed that Aquino and Villar were statistically tied.

“This is not to cast doubt [on the TNS survey] but we just don’t know enough about it,” Remulla said.

He also denied reports that the Villar camp commissioned a Pulse Asia survey from Feb 3 to 6 showing Aquino leading Villar by 12 percentage points.

“We don’t know that. Pulse Asia did not conduct a survey and we did not commission anything,” Remulla said.

Former Sen. Serge Osmeña III, who reportedly commissioned the TNS survey, said that the campaign should now sharpen its message to maintain its lead over Villar.

“People do not believe what the [Villar camp] is presenting.… If this elections were only about ads, Villar would now be leading by a mile,” said Osmeña, an LP guest senatorial candidate who has been named the “campaign coordinator.”

“I took the offer for that position to help strengthen the campaign. You could have called me campaign janitor and it wouldn’t have mattered,” he added.

He said he has already been meeting with Aquino campaign officials since Friday to identify and get rid of the “bottlenecks” in the campaign organization so that it could run more smoothly.

“Like in any big organizations, you’ll have overlapping functions or duplication of tasks. We’re trying to smoothen that out,” Osmeña said.

SOURCE:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100220-254370/New-survey-has-Aquino-widening-lead

                               

Discover Roxas is supporting “NOY-NOY AQUINO” for president 2010!!!

By:J.Alba

President

The presidential candidate with the most number of votes will be declared the winner. A separate election is held for the vice president; the two elected officials need not to be running mates in order to be elected.

Main article: Philippine presidential election, 2010

Senate

Main article: Philippine Senate election, 2010

One-half of the Senate of the Philippines will be up for election. The Philippines uses plurality-at-large voting for seats in the Senate.

House of Representatives 

Main articles: Philippine House of Representatives elections, 2010 and Philippine House of Representatives party-list election, 2010

All seats in the House are up for election, elections will be done for legislative districts and party-list.

Local

See also: Philippine gubernatorial elections, 2010

All elective local positions are up; a voter may elect a mayor, vice mayor and a varying number of councilors. If the voter resides in a province, the voter may elect a governor, vice governor and board members.

Notable races include:

• Manila local elections, 2010: Incumbent mayor and former senator Alfredo Lim and Department of Environment and Natural Resourcessecretary and former mayor Lito Atienza face off in the mayoral elections.

• Quezon City local elections, 2010: Incumbent vice mayor and actor Herbert Bautista, former mayor Ismael Mathay, Jr. former Presidential Chief of Staff and former 3rd District Representative Mike Defensor and 2nd District Representative Mary Ann Susano squaring off in the mayoral elections.

• Bohol local elections, 2010: Award-winning actor and director Cesar Montano will join the race with the two members of Bohol‘s prominent political clans, incumbent and three-term 1st District Representative Edgar M. Chatto and three-term vice governor Julius Caesar Herrera, and two others in provincial gubernatorial election.

• Marinduque local elections, 2010: Incumbent governor Jose Antonio N. Carrion of Lakas-Kampi-CMD will be challenged by Carmencita Reyes of the Liberal Party for the upcoming elections.

• Caloocan local elections, 2010: Incumbent mayor Enrico “Recom” Echiverri of the Liberal Party will be challenged by Lakas-Kampi-CMDcandidate Baby Asistio.

• Mountain Province local elections, 2010: For the lone congressional seat, incumbent governor Maximo Dalog will be challenged by Mayor Jupiter Dominguez and Mayor Frank Odsey.

• Laguna local elections, 2010: A four-way gubernatorial race ensues among Provincial Administrator Dennis “DSL” Lazaro, incumbent vice governor Ramil Hernandez, Pagsanjan mayor Emilio Ramon Ejercito, and former governor Joey Lina. Their running mates are Los BañosMayor Caesar Perez, Dave Almarinez, Ellen Reyes, and Soy Oruga-Mercado, respectively.

• Taguig local elections, 2010: Former Associate Justice and Former Congressman Dante O. Tinga, and Taguig City Congresswoman Ma. Laarni Lopez-Cayetano squaring off in the mayoral elections while Incumbent Vice Mayor George Elias and Entrepreneur Ferdie Santos will face off in the vice mayoral race. Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes backs out of race for Taguig Mayor.

• Batangas local elections, 2010: Actress and incumbent governor Vilma Santos-Recto will be facing off against former governor Arman Sanchez in the gubernatorial race in the province of Batangas.

General issues

In a decision dated December 2, 2009, the Supreme Court ruled that appointive officials seeking positions in the elections need not resign from their posts, striking down Section 4(a) of COMELEC Resolution 8678, Section 13 of Republic Act 9369, and Section 66 of the Omnibus Election Code as unconstitutional, “for being violative of the equal protection clause and for being overbroad.”^[3]

There has been a great deal of concern over the capability of the COMELEC to oversee a fully automated election process, especially since thePrecinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) system has never been fully piloted in the Philippines and a breakdown could lead to a failed election.^[4]

                                                                               

 Red colors are the Election hotspots in the Philippines.

Election-related violence

Prior to the end of the filing of certificates of candidacy, the COMELEC had anticipated several areas to be named as “election hotspots”.

On November 23, 2009, the entourage of the wife of Buluan, Maguindanao Esmael Mangudadatu who is running for provincial governor, including journalists, were abducted and killed in the province’s Ampatuan town.^[5] Before she was killed, Mangudadatu’s wife blamed provincial governor Andal Ampatuan, Jr. as the culprit.^[6] Ampatuan Jr. was later arrested.^[7]After several arms and military vehicles were seized in Ampatuans’ properties and government installations, President Arroyo declared martial law in parts of the province not controlled by theMoro Islamic Liberation Front on December 4.^[8]

On December 28, 2009, a candidate for councilor died, and two incumbent officials were wounded in an ambush in Dingras, Ilocos Norte. The gunmen fired at the convoy includingbarangay chairwoman Joen Caniete, who was running for councilor under the Nacionalista Party; the wounded included a sitting councilor and a provincial board member.^[9]

In Sorsogon, Julio Esquivias, a Nacionalista candidate for councilor in the town of Casiguran, died due to a gunshot wound after he was shot by an unidentified gunman.^[10]

In a command conference by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Policeand the COMELEC, 14 election “hotspots” were identified. They are Abra, Ilocos Norte,Masbate and Nueva Ecija in Luzon, Samar (Western Samar), Eastern Samar and Antique in theVisayas, and Basilan, Sulu, Maguindanao, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Sarangani, andZamboanga Sibugay in Mindanao.^[11]

Worsening private armed violence is a serious security concern that has the capacity to undermine the 2010 elections. Even though a commission has already been formed to dismantle private armies, skeptics are unconvinced that the government can succeed in this task as it has a poor track record at dealing with the ongoing problem of internal violence.^[12]

External links

• Official website of the Commission on Elections
• Election Files

The right to freedom of speech is recognized as a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized in international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights(ICCPR). The ICCPR recognizes the right to freedom of speech as “the right to hold opinions without interference. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression”.^[1][2] Furthermore freedom of speech is recognized in European, inter-American and African regional human rights law.

It is different from and not to be confused with the concept of freedom of thought.

In a continuous state of civil war since 1991, this country has become synonymous with piracy, probably its most lucrative industry. The millions of dollars in ransom money Somalia’s pirates extract from nervous shipowners each year–Reuters reports 47 ships captured in 2009–fuels on-shore corruption and vicious gang warfare. 

2.Afghanistan

President Hamid Karzai’s brother is widely reported to have ties to the nation’s virulent opium trade, and even President Obama has felt compelled to lecture Karzai on his government’s reputation for rampant corruption. But with the Taliban still sheltering Osama bin Laden and billions of dollars in U.S. aid for corrupt officials to steal, it’s unlikely Afghanistan will clean up its act any time soon.

3.Myanmar

The generals who run this Asian nation, formerly known as Burma, have a good thing going, and they’re not going to give it up. Rich in timber, minerals, natural gas, as well an ideal transit point for illegal drugs, Myanmar has become the scene of “economic plunder” by its rulers, according to dissident Ka Hsaw Wa. The U.S. government has prohibited investment in Myanmar since 1997, and more recently slapped sanctions against more than 100 of its leaders and top economic institutions

4.Sudan

Leave aside the fact that Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide. This resource-rich nation has a problem telling its citizens where their money’s going. Global Witness uncovered serious discrepancies between how Chinese oil companies report their Sudanese oil production and the government’s accounting for the same. 

5.Iraq

Iraq’s Shiite leaders are widely criticized by citizens for corrupt dealings that deprive the country of reliable water, electricity and fuel supplies. In a possibly hopeful sign, Iraq has joined the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, an Oslo-based program that aims to reduce corruption by requiring member governments to reveal contracts and payments by foreign oil drillers.

6.Chad

The World Bank pulled out of a $3.7 billion pipeline project in 2008 after President Idriss Deby commandeered oil revenue that was supposed to be used for health care, education and the reduction of poverty. More recently, a Chadian court accused the nation’s finance and education ministers of corruption, including allegedly embezzling $4.3 million from a schoolbook purchasing program.

7.Uzbekistan

President Islam Karimov, an old communist warhorse, controls the legislature, judiciary and media and keeps getting elected by suspiciously large margins–88% of the vote in December 2007. With the government controlling large swaths of the economy, corruption and oppression are getting worse in the most populous nation in Central Asia. “Grades and degrees are routinely purchased” in the education system, according to the U.S. State Dept.

8.Turkmenistan

“Corruption is pervasive” in this resource-rich nation, says the State Department, with power concentrated in the hands of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The government controls most sectors of the economy, including Turkmenistan’s vast natural gas reserves, which make the country the second-largest gas exporter in the former Soviet Union after Russia.

9.Iran

If, as widely believed, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stole the election in 2009, it’s because the wealthy families associated with Iran’s ruling mullahs and Revolutionary Guards aren’t willing to surrender control of this oil-driven economy. 

10.Haiti

This island nation declared independence in 1804 and less than two years later its first emperor, Jean Jacques Dessalines, was shot and hacked to pieces by citizens angry over rampant corruption. Little has changed since then. The death toll from the 2010 earthquake illustrates how poorly Haiti’s government has provided for its citizens, while enriching the aristocratic families who control the economy.

Main article: Holy Week in the Philippines

In the predominantly Catholic Philippines, the day is commemorated with street processions, the Way of the Cross, and a Passion play called the Sinakulo. The Church keeps the day solemn by not tolling the church bells, and no mass will be celebrated. In some communities (most famously in San Fernando, Pampanga), the processions include devotees who self-flagellate and sometimes even have themselves nailed to crosses as expressions of penance. After three o’clock in the afternoon of Good Friday (the time at which Jesus is traditionally believed to have died), noise is discouraged, some radio stations and television stations sign off (while others remain signed-on, broadcasting Religious Programming), businesses automatically close, and the faithful are urged to keep a solemn and prayerful disposition through to EasterSunday.

At Mass on Palm Sunday, Catholics carry “palaspas” or palm leaves to be blessed by the priest. Many Filipinos bring home the palm leaves after the Mass and place these above their front doors or their windows, believing that doing so can ward off evil spirits. Holy Monday marks the beginning of the Pabasa (literally, reading) or Pasyon, the marathon chanting of the story of Jesus’ life, passion, and death, which continues day and night, for as long as two straight days. A popular Holy Thursday tradition is the Bisita Iglesia (Church Visit), which involves visiting several Churches at which the faithful would pray the Stations of the Cross. The last Mass before Easter is also celebrated on Holy Thursday, usually including a reenactment of the Washing of the Feet of the Apostles; this Mass is followed by the procession of the Blessed Sacrament before it is taken to the Altar of Repose. Good Friday in the Philippines is commemorated with street processions, the Way of the Cross, the commemoration of Jesus’ Seven last words (Siete Palabras) and a Passion play called the Sinakulo.

In some communities (most famously in the province of Pampanga), the processions include devotees who self-flagellate and sometimes even have themselves nailed to crosses as expressions of penance. After three o’clock in the afternoon of Good Friday (the time at which Jesus is traditionally believed to have died), noise is discouraged, bathing is proscribed and the faithful are urged to keep a solemn and prayerful disposition through Black Saturday. Easter morning is marked with joyous celebration, the first being the dawn Salubong, wherein large statues of Jesus and Mary are brought in procession together to meet, imagining the first reunion of Jesus and his mother Mary after Jesus’ Resurrection. This is followed by the joyous Easter Mass.

 

1. ^ 1920 typical edition of the Roman Missal
2. ^ Holy Thursday: Number of Masses
3. ^ General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 19
4. ^ Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 45
5. ^ Letter of the Congregation for Divine Worship, 14 March 2003
6. ^ The Easter Sepulchre Ceremony in Durham Abbey; Old Church Lore by William Andrews

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Holy Week

• Holy Week in Spain (English)
• Holy Week in Spain (Spanish)
• fotografias semana santa color 2008 de Willem Kuijpers
• Semana Santa in Andalucia, Spain (English)
• Calculate Easter Dates as well as other main variable Feasts during and after Passover
• The Days of Holy Week at The Christian Resource Institute
• Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha at the Greek Orthodox Church of America
• Holy Week Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
• Semana Santa in Spain
• Holy Week in Cazorla, Andalusia, Spain
• Holy Week in Taranto, Italy
• Main festival of Zamora SEMANA SANTA ZAMORA
• Semana Santa of Valencia, Spain
• Holy Week and Easter Fast Facts from AOL Research & Learn
• Holy Week from the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Holy Week in Baliuag, Bulacan
• Holy Week in Linares (Andalusia, Spain) and its “Bandas de Cabecera”
• Holy Week in Linares. “Banda de Cabecera” playing “The Sound Of Silent”
• Semana Santa in Pruna, Andalucia 2008
• Semana Santa in Soller, Majorca 2008
• Slide Show of the Holy Week in Andalusia, Spain.

 

• Cuartero
• Dao
• Dumalag
• Dumarao
• Ivisan
• Jamindan
• Ma-ayon
• Mambusao

• Panay
• Panitan
• Pilar
• Pontevedra
• President Roxas
• Sapi-an or Sapian
• Sigma
• Tapaz