Category: Governance

Senate passes FOI on second reading

Ed Lingao Leave a comment

 

THE LONG-DELAYED Freedom of Information (FOI) bill breezed through the Senate floor on second reading Tuesday night, with main sponsor Senator Gregorio Honasan guaranteeing passage on third and final reading by next week.

But prospects are not as bright in the House of Representatives, as FOI advocates prepare to battle it out with the measure’s opponents in the plenary. Also on Tuesday, the House committee on public information formally approved the consolidated committee report, paving the way for debates on the House version in the plenary. The consolidated committee report had actually been approved as early as last month, but committee chairman Ben Evardone had insisted on calling another committee hearing just to formalize the approval.

In contrast, the Senate version was reported to the floor last week, after which several senators proposed amendments to the bill. Honasan said the amendments were mostly minor; Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, for example, had wanted to rename the bill to the Freedom of Information Act or FOI, after Honasan gave the measure the somewhat catchier name POGI, or the People’s Ownership of Government Information Act. POGI, of course, is a colloquial word meaning “handsome.”

In the end, Honasan said he preferred to keep the name POGI, even though advocates are more familiar with the acronym FOI.

After a brief period of amendments, Honasan moved to have the bill passed on second reading. Hearing no objections, Presiding Officer Jinggoy Estrada declared the measure passed.

Honasan said the third reading of the bill would be a mere formality in the Senate. As such, he said FOI advocates must now train their guns on the House of Representatives.

Atty. Nepomuceno Malaluan, Right to Know Right Now Coalition convenor, said the ball is now in the court of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and President Benigno S. Aquino III.

Malaluan said that with the FOI virtually passed in the upper chamber, it would be up to the President and the House Speaker to wield their clout and make the measure move through the House.

In particular, Malaluan said FOI advocates are still hoping that President Aquino would certify the bill as urgent. Malaluan pointed out that the President had repeatedly expressed his support for the FOI when he was still a presidential candidate. The President’s interest in the bill appear to have waned though after he assumed office.

 

The bill has met some resistance in the lower chamber, with several congressmen demanding the insertion of a provision providing for a right of reply, or ROR. The ROR rider would require media organizations to give equal time, space, and prominence to officials who feel that they were the targets of negative reportage. ROR proponents in the House of Representatives insist that this provision would curb alleged excesses within the media. Media organizations however say that the ROR proviso is unconstitutional, as it virtually legislates editorial content.

 

The rapidly rising net worth of the Supreme Court justices

mcmangahas Leave a comment

EXACTLY A year ago tomorrow, on Dec. 12, 2011, President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III marshaled votes from his Liberal Party and coalition allies in the House of Representatives to impeach then Chief Justice Renato C. Corona.

The chief magistrate, it was alleged, had failed to declare the true and full details of his wealth in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

But by most indications, many strands of Corona’s story find parallels in the state of wealth of most of his former colleagues at the Supreme Court, as of 2011.

For instance, like Corona, nearly all the justices retain sizeable caches of cash on hand and in bank. In fact, four justices have zero liabilities, as of their 2011 SALNs.

Only two justices have loans or liabilities of around P5 million, and only one with P16-million liabilities on account of his wife’s business ventures. The rest of the justices have a little less or more than P1 million in loans.

Like Corona as well, land or real assets remain the pivot or bulk of the assets of at least four justices. All the rest, except for one, have land estates accounting for 30 to 50 percent of their assets. The seemingly basement prices at which some justices acquired their houses and lots and agricultural land are incredible to say the least.

Unlike Corona though, several of the justices have fairly robust portfolios of equity interest in family corporations and holding companies, and in sundry stocks in corporate entities they did not identify in 2011 but had revealed in their previous SALNs.

PCIJ’s review of the data enrolled in their SALNs through the years, however, yields a number of disparities that beg further explanation from the justices. Our findings include:

  • A largely sharp uptick in the net worth of invariably all the justices across a decade. For eight justices whose 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2011 SALNs are available, PCIJ found that the rise in their net worth ranged from P6.75 million to P81.65 million, or from 58 percent to 558 percent more, across a decade.
  • Some justices have reported changing or rising acquisition costs, as well as static fair market values, for their properties; the others did not even disclose the acquisition costs of their real assets.
  • A number of corporate interests are not disclosed in the SALNs of some justices but in which, SEC records show, they still retain equity interest as incorporators, shareholders, or officers.
  • Conflict of interest situations – in law, could either be real, potential, or apparent – confront three justices because of loans that they had acquired for companies in which their spouses have interests, or for a family holding firm with office addresses at the old and new offices of one justice’s former law firm.
  • Twelve justices have brought in two to six relatives as executive assistant, judicial staff, legislative staff or consultant in the Supreme Court and the electoral tribunals. They include the spouse, children, siblings, nephews, nieces, and in-laws of the justices. At least four have at least six relatives each in government, majority employed by the high court and the electoral tribunals.
  • Bad math marks the SALN of two justices who apparently failed to derive the correct sums of their assets, thus pruning the value of their true net worth.

Read Part 3 of our report on The Wealth of the ‘Gods of Faura’ here.

Fat allowances of Corona not taxed: Happy days linger at SC?

Ed Lingao Leave a comment

IN THE SECOND installment of the PCIJ’s four-part report on the self-appointed perks and privileges of the “Gods of Padre Faura,” the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism looks at how special and redundant allowances and honoraria bloat the take-home pay of the justices of the Supreme Court.

More tellingly, this story by PCIJ Executive Director Malou Mangahas shows how sundry allowances, bonuses, and fringe benefits of the Supreme Court justices had not been not taxed — a matter that had been verified in the case of impeached chief justice Renato C. Corona.

This is according to the reports submitted to the Bureau of Internal Revenue by the high court’s finance and accounting office. But the situation seems to linger still for the most senior justices of the land who continue to receive an excess of extra pay, while other public officials and employee who don’t get as much, fork out more of their hard-earned money to the taxman.

Read Part 2 of the PCIJ special report here.

The wealth of the ‘Gods of Faura’

Ed Lingao Leave a comment

WHEN CONGRESS IMPEACHED then Chief Justice Renato C. Corona on December 12, 2011 because he had allegedly filed an intentionally flawed Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), it was a signal for public servants that the document they submitted each year was not to be trifled with.

And when Corona was found guilty by the Senate impeachment court of excluding a substantial portion of his assets in his sworn SALN, transparency in the details of their income and wealth became a clear obligation – and strong public expectation – of all public officials, but especially of the justices of the Supreme Court.

Based on the contents of their 2011 SALNs, however, this lesson seemed to have been lost on the justices of the high court. Not only have most of them apparently underdeclared the true amount of their income – in law, salaries plus allowances – in their SALNs, half of them declined to answer questions about these.

For this joint story project with Solar Network News, the PCIJ validated the data enrolled in the justices’ 2011 SALNs with corporate records and the SALNs that they had filed in prior years.

PCIJ then wrote 14 of the justices separate letters to clarify the apparent disparities in the data enrolled in the various documents. Half or seven of them replied to the PCIJ’s queries.

The other seven, including Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes P.A. Sereno, and Associate Justices Bienvenido L. Reyes and Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe – all appointees of Preisdent Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III – refused to be quizzed about the details of their wealth. Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio did not respond, too.

But in its recently released Report on Salaries and Allowances for 2011 (ROSA), the Commission on Audit ranked the high court justices among the top 200 best paid, out of 6,489 senior public officials in 864 government agencies in the country.

The 2011 ROSA reveals that seven of the 14 justices are receiving allowances of more than half a million pesos each, and the others, at least P312,000 each. In addition, four justices are being paid more than P2 million in other benefits, incentives, and bonuses.

Of the 10 justices who put a figure in the annual income column of their 2011 SALN form, six declared that they received only P1.08 million to P2.9 million.

Left out was a slew of allowances, bonuses, and benefits that apparently fattened the justices’ take-home pay by two to three times more, or from P2.22 million to as much as P4.63 million.

Part 1 of our report looks at the disparities between the income that 10 justices declared in their SALNs (four others did not disclose at all) and the data enrolled in COA’s 2011 ROSA. It comes with two sidebars: The COA’s ROSA story, and a ‘Money Talk’ guide.

Part 2 looks at the tax implications of this windfall of extra pay that the justices received in 2011.

Part 3 reviews the details of the assets and liabilities of the justices, as they had declared in the 2011 and prior years’ SALNs.

Part 4 focuses on the implications of the unyielding resort to secrecy by the court on transparency, accountability, and integrity of the judiciary – supposedly the main reasons why Congress voted a year ago to impeach a chief justice.

A hundred groups urge P-Noy, Congress: Certify FOI as urgent!

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OVER a hundred organizations on Sunday urged President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., and leaders of Congress to heed one clamor: Certify the Freedom of Information bill as an urgent, priority legislation.

In a statement, the groups that comprise the Right to Know, Right Now! Coalition, challenged Aquino and Congress leaders to make good on their promise to enact the bill into law in the 15th Congress.

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Information had voted 17-3 on Nov. 27 to approve the report of its technical working group that consolidated 16 various versions of the FOI bill that it had received.

However, committee chairman Rep. Ben Evardone seems inclined to go slow on sending the committee report to the House plenary for debate on the floor. Evardone has scheduled yet another committee meeting on Dec. 11, supposedly for the committee members to sign the report.

The usual practice of Congress is for committee reports to be passed around for signing by committee members, without need for a committee hearing.

Only nine session days remain before the Congress goes on Christmas break on Dec. 22.

The statement of the Coalition follows:

THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION bill (FOI) in the Senate and in the House of Representatives has advanced despite the odds, having passed the respective committees. FOI is now at a critical juncture, which will determine its passage in this 15thCongress.

Given that time is running out in the 15th Congress, we appeal to the Senate and House leadership, as well as to the Executive, to accord its passage the urgency it deserves.

It is within their powers to pass the FOI bill in the 15th Congress despite the time constraint.

The Senators can make good their earlier commitments to pass the FOI bill. They must find time to proceed with interpellation, amendments, and passage on second and third reading before they adjourn for the December break.

In the House of Representatives, the Committee on Rules, through the Majority Leader, is empowered to declare a bill urgent, and to set the number of days or hours to be allotted for the consideration of the bill in plenary, and when vote on the bill shall be taken.

To start the process, we demand that Rep. Evardone gives justice to the 17 members of the House who voted to approve the committee report last November 27, by submitting it to plenary today (Monday, December 3). The House leadership must then include the FOI bill in the Order of Business beginning this week.

On the part of the Executive, President Aquino can certify to the necessity of its immediate enactment, as he did with the Sin Tax Bill. This will place the FOI bill on par with the highest priority measures of Congress, and save it the delay from the interval of days needed in passing bills on second and third readings.

We take this opportunity to thank and congratulate the FOI champions who succeeded in having the committee report approved by the House committee, despite the odds. Principally, we recognize the leadership of Quezon Rep. Erin Tañada and the crucial interventions by Akbayan Reps. Walden Bello and Kaka Bag-ao, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, CIBAC Reps. Cinchona Cruz-Gonzales and Sherwin Tugna, and Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño.

We also express our heartfelt gratitude for the other regular, deputized and ex-officio members of the Committee on Public Information who answered the call for an affirmative vote on the FOI consolidated bill. They are Cebu 1st District Rep. Rachel Marguerite del Mar, Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy, Kabataan Rep Raymond Palatino, AAMBIS-OWA Rep. Sharon Garin, Basilan Rep. Jim Hataman-Salliman, Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano, DIWA Rep. Emmeline Aglipay, Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe, An Waray Rep. Neil Benedict Montejo, and Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo.

In plenary, we appeal to the proponents of the Right of Reply provision to allow the passage of the FOI. We urge them to pursue their Right of Reply advocacy independent of the FOI bill’s passage. Constitutional and public policy issues remain unresolved around the Right of Reply, which should be fully deliberated in the separate measures also filed with Rep. Evardone’s committee, with all the stakeholders consulted extensively.

We will support reasonable amendments to the FOI bill, like the provision on safeguard against abuse proposed by Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy. We will likewise support an amendment that will address the concern of the Department of National Defense over the time gap between the repeal of the existing information classification guidelines and the promulgation of the new classification guidelines as provided under the bill.

Beyond this, all that remains for the 15th Congress is the fulfillment of a solemn promise to the people to pass the long-overdue Freedom of Information Act.

Signatories:

1. Atty. Nepomuceno Malaluan, Co-Director, Institute for Freedom of Information and Co-Convenor, Right to Know. Right Now! Coalition

2. Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo, DD, Chairman, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines – National Secretariat for Social Action-Justice and Peace (CBCP-NASSA)

3.Ms. Malou Mangahas, Executive Director, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism

4.Mr. Peter Angelo V. Perfecto, Executive Director, Makati Business Club

5.Ms. Annie Geron, General Secretary, Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK)

6.Prof. Luis Teodoro, Deputy Director, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility

7.Mr. Josua Mata, Secretary General, Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL)

8.Ms. Yuen Abana, Campaign Coordinator, Partido ng Manggagawa

9. Ms. Clarissa V. Militante
Coordinator, Focus on the Global South, Philippines Programme

10. Mr. Jun Aguilar nd Mr. Elso Cabangon, Filipino Migrant Workers Group

11. Mr. Max M. De Mesa, Chairperson, Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)

12.Mr. Ramon R. Tuazon, President
Dr. ?Florangel Rosario-Braid, President Emeritus & Senior Adviser?
Ms. Madeline B. Quiamco, Dean
Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication

13. Atty. Roberto Eugenio Cadiz, Executive Director, Libertás

14.Mr. Alwyn Alburo, Vice Chairman and Ms. Rowena Paraan, Secretary-General, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines

15.Prof. Leonor M. Briones, Lead Covenor, Social Watch Philippines

16.Ms. Maxine Tanya Hamada, Executive Director, International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in Governance (INCITEGov)

17. Mr. Ariel Sebellino,Executive Director, Philippine Press Institute

18.Dr. Edna A. Co, Professor, University of the Philippines Diliman

19.Mr. Norman Cabrera, Secretary General, Ang Kapatiran Party
Mr. John Carlos G. de los Reyes, Candidate for Senator (2013)
Mr. Rizalito Y. David, Candidate for Senator (2013)
Atty. Marwil Llasos, Candidate for Senator (2013)
Mr. Carlos Cabochan, Candidate for Representative, 2nd District of Caloocan City (2013)
Mr. Harry Tambuatco, Candidate for Representative, Lone district of Muntinlupa city (2013)
Mr. Edilberto M. Cuenca, Candidate for Representative, 1st District of Makati City (2013)
Mr. Frank Reyes, Candidate for Representative, Lone District of Mandaluyong City (2013), Ang Kapatiran Party

20.Atty Eirene Jhone Aguila, FOI and New Politics Advocate

21.Ms. Joy Aceron, Program Director, Government Watch/ PODER, Ateneo School of Government

22.Mr. Sixto Donato C. Macasaet, Executive Director, Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO)

23. Ms. Jenina Joy Chavez, Southeast Asia Monitor for Action

24. Mr. Vincent Lazatin, Executive Director, Transparency and Accountability Network

25. Dr. Segundo Romero, Program Director, Ateneo School of Government

26.Mr. Ricardo Reyes, President, Freedom from Debt Coalition

27. Dr. Joseph Anthony Lim, Professor, Economics Department, Ateneo De Manila University

28. Dr. J. Prospero de Vera, Professor, UPNCPAG, and Executive Director, Pimentel Institute for Leadership and Governance

29. Mr. Bong Fabe, Freelance journalist

30.Atty. Risa Halagueña, Fellow, Action for Economic Reforms

31.Sr. Cres Lucero, SFIC, Co-Chairperson and Mr. Emmanuel Amistad, Executive Director, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines

32.Atty. Corazon Valdez Fabros, Lead Convenor, Stop the War Coalition Philippines

33.Ms. Ana Maria R. Nemenzo, National Coordinator
Ms. Mercy Fabros, Advocacy and Campaign Coordinator
Ms. May-i Fabros, Coordinator of Young Women Collective
Ms. Rosheic Sims, Assistant Coordinator of Young Women Collective
WomanHealth Philippines

34. Mr. Rolando Ocampo, Spokesperson, Prudentialife Warriors/Movement for Change and Good Governance

35.Ms. Cielo Magno, Coordinator, Bantay Kita

36.Mr.Red Batario, Executive Director, Ms. G. Sevilla Alvarez, Program Director, Center for Community Journalism and Development

37. Mr. Isagani R. Serrano, President, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement

38. Dr. Sylvia Estrada-Claudio, Director, University of the Philippines Center for Women’s Studies.

39. Ms. Jessica Reyes-Cantos, Lead Convenor, Rice Watch and Action Network

40. Ms. Ellene Sana, Executive Director, Center for Migrant Advocacy

41. Mr. Jaybee Garganera, National Coordinator, Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM)

42. Mr. Jong Pacanot, Secretary General, Freedom from Debt Coalition – Southern Mindanao

43. Ms. Evita L. Jimenez, Executive Director, Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG)

44. Ms. Andrea Maria Patricia Sarenas, Chairperson, Mindanao Coalition of Development NGO Networks (MINCODE)

45.Fr. Albert E. Alejo, SJ, Ehem Anticorruption Program

46.Mr. Jason Alacapa, Chairperson, University Student Council (UPM USC), UP Manila

47. Ms. Jean Enriquez, Executive Director, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific

48. Dr. Nymia Pimentel Simbulan, Executive Director, PhilRights

49. Atty. Ray Paolo J. Santiago, Executive Director, Ateneo Human Rights Center

50. Ms. Zenaida S. Mique, Executive Director, Claimants 1081

51. Sr. Nelda L. Balaba, OND, Program Coordinator, Justice and Peace Desk – Social Action Center, Diocese of Marbel

52. Ms. Marjorie Anne Yoro, Suprema, UP Kabataang Pilosopo Tasyo (KaPiTas), UP Diliman

53. Ms. Moses Albiento, Chairperson, Alliance of Student Leaders (ASL), Ateneo de Manila University

54. Mr. Joseph Angelo Gutierrez, Chairperson, Movement of Students for Progressive Leadership in UP (MOVE UP), UP Los Baños

55. Mr. Tristan Daine Zinampan, Chairperson, Linking Everyone Towards Service CDC (LETS CDC), College of Development Communication, UP Los Baños

56. Ms. Mary Ann Fuertes, Executive Director, Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (Davao City)

57. Atty. Arvin A. Jo, Focal Person, The Access Initiative – Philippines

58. Ms. April Lamentillo, Supremo, Sandigan ng mga Iskolar para sa Nagkakaisang CAS (SINAG CAS), College of Arts and Sciences, UP Los Baños

59. Mr. Curt Russel Lopez Delfin, President, Metro Manila Alliance of Communication Students (MACS)

60. Mr. John Mark Salvador, President, Bagong Benilde, De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde

61. Mr. Van Battad, President, UP Sirkulo ng mga Kabataang Artista (SIKAT), UP Diliman

62. Ms. Luisa Lioanag, Bos Tsip-Tsip, UP Bukluran sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Buklod-Isip), UP Diliman

63. Ms. Starjoan Villanueva, Executive Director, Alternate Forum for Research in Mindanao

64. Mr. Joseph Purugganan, Coordinator, EU-ASEAN FTA Network

65.Ms. Patricza Torio, Tagapangulo, UP Lipunang Pangkasaysayan (LIKAS), UP Diliman

66. Ms. Marian Bahalla, Chairperson, Laban COC Party, College of Communication, Polytechnic University of the Philippines

67. Mr. Arjay Mercado, President, UP Economics Towards Consciousness (ETC), UP Diliman

68. Mr. Joshua Layog, Primer, Katipunan CHE, College of Human Ecology, UP Los Baños

69. Ms. Ema Escanilla, Speaker, UP People-Oriented Leadership in the Interest of Community Awareness (UP POLITICA), UP Diliman

70. Mr. Edward Dayog, President, UP Organization of Human Rights Advocates (OHRA), UP Diliman

71. Mr. JC Tejano, National Chairperson, Bukluran ng mga Progresibong Iskolar – UP System (BUKLURAN – UP SYSTEM)

72. Ms. Ara Tan, President, UP Kalipunan ng mga Mag-aaral ng Sosyolohiya (KMS), UP Diliman

73. Mr. Ace Ligsay, Chairperson, UP Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (UP ALYANSA), UP Diliman

74. Mr. Mickey Eva, President, Coalition for Students’ Rights and Welfare (STRAW Coalition)

75. Mr. Carlo Brolagda, Chairperson and Mr. Chris Alquizalas, Councilor, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Student Council (CSSPSC), UP Diliman / Convenors, FOI Youth Initiative (FYI)

76. Mr. Joshua Young, Chairperson, Bigkis ng mga Iskolar Para sa Bayan Tungo sa Makabuluhang Pagbabago – UPM (BIGKIS-UPM), UP Manila

77. Mr. Viko Fumar, President, BUKLOD CSSP, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, UP Diliman

78. Julliano Fernando A. Guiang, Councilor, University Student Council, UP Diliman, and Convenor, Disclose All Records (DARe) Movement

79. Mr. Deg Daupan, President, Alternatibong Katipunan ng mga Mag-aaral (AKMA), UP Baguio

80. Mr. Walter Tamayo, History Department Representative, AngKAS (CSSP History Department Core Group), UP Diliman

81. Mr. Gio Alejo, President, Sanggunian ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila, Ateneo de Manila University

82. Mr. Jose Valencia, President, KASAPI Kaisahan ng Migranteng Manggagawa sa Gresya

83.Mr. Lejun Dela Cruz, Acting Chairperson, Alab Katipunan

84. Aurora A. Regalado, Managing Trustee, Management and Organizational Development for Empowerment (MODE)

85.Mr. Renato Dela Cruz, President, Aniban ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (AMA)

86. Mr. Walter Balane, President, Bukidnon Press Club

87. Ms. Sylvia Paraguya, Chief Executive, National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO)

88. Mr. Pete Pinlac, Chairperson, Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya

89. Mr. Pablo Rosales, Chairperson, Progresibong Alyansa ng mga Mangingisda

90. Mr. Boy Alban, Chairperson, League of Urban Poor for Action

91. Mr. Jun Pascual, Acting Chairperson, Pambansang Katipunan ng Makabayang Magbubukid

92. Ms. Edeliza Hernandez, Executive Director, Medical Action Group

93. Dr. Renato G. Mabunga,Chairperson, Human Rights Defenders – Pilipinas

94. Fr. Edwin Gariguez, Coordinating Committee Member, Faith-based Congress Against Immoral Debts

95. Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSB, Co-chairperson, Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines

96. Mr. Acmad Maruhom-Macatimbol, Executive Director, Lanao Alliance of Human Rights Advocates

97. Ms. Jennifer Julia Lacaba, President, Animal Concerns and Awareness Club (AC2), University of the Philippines – Visayas Tacloban College

98. Mr. Xander Losaria, Secretary General, SENTRO – La Salle, De La Salle University – Dasmariñas

99. Mr. Wilson Fortaleza, Kampanya para sa Makataong Pamumuhay

100. Prof. Flordeliz L. Abanto, Broadcast Journalism Coordinator, St. Scholastica’s College, Manila

101.Prof. Nelson J. Celis, AES (Automated Election System) Watch

102.Prof. Angelina E. Borican, Journalism Professor, College of Communications, Polytechnic University of the Philippines