Sotto, Zamora, Moreno topple giants; make history in PH politics
by Marje Pelayo | Posted on Tuesday, May 14th, 2019
(L-R) Vico Sotto, Francis Zamora and Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso
MANILA, Philippines – The political arena had a complete turn-around in major cities in the country as the reign of political clans ended and new faces emerged victorious in Monday’s 2019 midterm polls.
Pasig City’s new, “millennial” mayor
A promise of a “new kind of politics” is about to start in Pasig City after 29-year-old Councilor Vico Sotto braved the pressure to break the almost three-decade unbroken line of Eusebios in the country’s eighth largest city.
On his official Facebook page, Sotto thanked his supporters for the trust while he promised to lead the city to its new beginning.
“Maraming salamat. Sa lahat ng nagbigay ng tiwala, sa mga bumoto, at sa mga nakiisa sa ating laban,” the incoming Mayor said.
“Sulit po ang pagod at effort natin. Narinig na ng bayan ang ating tinig. Handa na ang Pasig para sa tunay at pangmatagalang pagbabago!” he added.
Sotto, who topped the councilor race in 2016 in his first ever attempt in public office, is the son of veteran celebrities Vic Sotto and Coney Reyes.
Sotto did not field a vice mayor which left the incumbent Iyo Christian Caruncho Bernardo unopposed.
His party-mate former Rep. Roman Romulo also won the race against Mayor Bobby Eusebio’s brother incumbent Rep. Ricky Eusebio and is now a returning congressman for Pasig City’s lone district.
A game changer in San Juan City
Businessman Francis Zamora is the new mayor of San Juan City ending the reign of the Ejercito-Estrada clan in the smallest city in Metro Manila.
Zamora considered himself a game-changer after winning the election against Jannela Ejercito, the daughter of former senator Jinggoy Estrada and granddaughter of Manila’s incumbent mayor Joseph Estrada.
The new mayor promised to turn the old city of San Juan into a highly developed “Smart City” with improved services and state-of-the-art facilities.
Francis’ father, Ronaldo Zamora, remains in office after defeating challenger Edu Manzano for the lone district of San Juan.
The Estrada clan took hold of San Juan City since 1969 when then popular actor Joseph Estrada won as mayor. He was succeeded by his sons Jinggoy and JV Ejercito then JV’s mother Guia Gomez to whom Zamora narrowly lost his bid for mayor in 2016.
The Zamoras and Estradas were family friends for 30 years until Francis and Guia both ran in the mayoralty race in 2016. Francis claimed he was cheated in the election.
Dethroning a giant
Former Vice Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso defeated the “giant” in the country’s capital, Manila.
The new mayor described his win as a “humbling experience” while he could only wish the best for his opponent, former president and mayor Joseph Estrada.
“Maging masaya ang kaniyang mga araw sa buhay. Maging maligaya din siya na kapiling ang kaniyang pamilya…Nakapaglingkod na naman siya sa taumbayan. Napagbigyan na rin naman siya. And I think he did enough already for the country and for the city,” Domagoso said of Estrada.
A Tondo boy who used to scavenge for food, Domagoso established his political career from serving three terms as a city councilor, another three terms as vice mayor and the most recent as an undersecretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
As now the new mayor of Manila, he promised “more programs of governance” for the city.
“Today is just the beginning. It’s going to be challenging years for us. People are expecting pero may awa ang Dios. We always wanted to be guided by law and order and by God,” he said after securing his win.
His running mate, incumbent Vice Mayor Maria Sheilah Lacuna-Pangan, also won for a second term in office. — Marje Pelayo
by Robie de Guzman | Posted on Monday, July 15th, 2019
The death toll in Nepal from flash floods and landslides rose to 55 on Sunday (July 14), with dozens missing and injured, the government said.
Ten thousand people have been displaced from their homes as incessant monsoon rains pounded many areas in mostly mountainous Nepal since Thursday (July 11), submerging large areas of land, inundating homes, and destroying bridges and roads across the country.
A Home Ministry statement said 55 people had been confirmed dead and 33 injured, with 30 still missing.
India’s north eastern state of Assam has also been hard hit by the floods brought by the monsoon, with at least 1.5 million people displaced and 10 dead.
In the Chittagong division of Bangladesh there have been 10 deaths and about 500,000 displaced, with 200 villages flooded.
Officials said in some areas rains had eased but rivers in the eastern part of the country were still above flood level.
The Kosi River, which flows into the eastern Indian state of Bihar, was among those that had risen above the flood level.
The Kosi has been a serious concern for both India and Nepal since it broke its banks in 2008 and changed course, submerging large areas of land and affecting more than 2 million people in India’s Bihar state. (REUTERS)
by Aileen Cerrudo | Posted on Monday, July 15th, 2019
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno presenting the three most wanted suspects in the city
The Manila local government unit (LGU) on Monday (July 15) presented to the media arrested suspects, including the three most wanted in the city.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno gathered the media at the city hall after leading the flag raising ceremony. He then presented three most wanted suspects in Manila including a woman accused of extortion.
Accused Melanie Angeles allegedly belong to an organizer called ‘Bakulaw Group’ and was accused for extorting P500-P1,000 from sidewalk vendors for a vending space.
The three arrested suspects are Irwin Pelina who is wanted for robbery with unnecessary violence, Bob Navarro, and Jason Fullantes who are wanted for rape.
Moreno calls on the faction of organizers who extort money from vendors to leave the city.
“Vendor lang ang hindi yumayaman sa kalye. Organizer ang yumayaman. Sinabi ko na sa inyo, magsipagbalik na kayo sa kani-kaniyang bayan. Hindi na kayo welcome dito, (The vendors are the only ones not earning in the streets, the organizers are. I am telling all of you to go back to your towns. You are not welcome here)” he said.—AAC (with reports from April Cenedoza)
by Robie de Guzman | Posted on Monday, July 15th, 2019
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaking at televised address | Courtesy: Reuters footage
Iran is ready to hold talks with the United States if Washington lifts sanctions and returns to the 2015 nuclear deal it quit last year, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech on Sunday (July 14).
“When a big power that is a bully, well then we have to stand up to it. It must stop being a bully. We have always believed in talks. Always, right this hour, right this moment, if they stop the oppression, if they stop the belligerence, if they lift sanctions, return to the table, return to to logic; we are ready,” said Rouhani.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration says it is open to negotiations with Iran on a more far-reaching agreement on nuclear and security issues.
But Iran has made any talks conditional on first being able to export as much oil as it did before the United States withdrew from the nuclear pact with world powers in May 2018.
Confrontations between Washington and Tehran have escalated, culminating in a plan for U.S. air strikes on Iran last month that Trump called off at the last minute. (REUTERS)
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