INC backs Duterte-Marcos

Speculations are over. The influential religious group Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) has officially announced its support of presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the 2016 national elections.

This INC decision most likely assured the two of victory. It’s a sad day for the four other presidential candidates.

It has been said that becoming President of the country is a matter of destiny. Surely destiny decided in favor of Duterte despite serious issues against him and his initial hesitation to run for the presidency.

Now everybody is waiting if he will declare a revolutionary government as he promised. He also threatened to close down Congress.

It’s a sad story for supporters of Grace Poe, who at one point was in first place with 41 percent. It could be theorized that the issue of inexperience and unpreparedness for the highest post of the land finally took its toll on Poe’s candidacy.

Now it can be said again, Poe should have run for vice president.

Duterte admits Quiboloy gifts

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has admitted that he received three valuable properties and two expensive vehicles from Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

Lawyers questioned the legality of the gifts to an incumbent official. Duterte has also, so far, refused to open his Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Julia Vargas bank account. His daughter, Sara, said she and her husband had separate sources of income to pay for the Duterte properties. But Duterte had contradicted his daughter where he admitted receiving gifts from Pastor Quiboloy and other friends.

Deserving congressional bets

Rep. Gus Tambunting of the 2nd District of Parañaque thanked his allies and supporters for their continuous help and support for his reelection.

Rep. Tambunting has a perfect attendance record and authored several important laws, among them Republic Act No. 10653 which adjusted the 13th-month pay and other benefits excluded from the computation of gross income for purposes of income taxation by increasing the ceiling from P30,000 to P82,000. He also authored House Bill No. 4002, which was signed into law as Republic Act 10747, known as an act of promulgating a comprehensive policy in addressing the needs of persons with rare disease.

My son, Edward Vera Perez Maceda, who has served as Councilor of City of Manila for 18 years, is running for Congress in the fourth district of Manila (Sampaloc), under Mayor Joseph Estrada’s ticket. His platform prioritizes education, teacher’s and student’s welfare, and more benefits for senior citizens and barangay officials.

One hundred ninety-two residents of Senior Citizen’s Associations (SCA) pledged their support for Edward’s candidacy for Congress at a luncheon meeting at Sampaguita Gardens, hosted by Marichu.

Christopher de Venecia, son of Speaker Joe de Venecia and Rep. Gina Vera Perez de Venecia, is sure to win as congressman of the fourth district of Pangasinan. He is running unopposed.

Former Rep. Jack Duavit of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) is making a comeback in the second district of Rizal. He is a sure winner too.

Mayor Len-Len Alonte of Biñan is running for congresswoman of the newly created district of Biñan City.

Duterte still leads

The latest Pulse Asia ABS-CBN Survey shows Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the lead, with 33 percent; the same as in the last April 19-24 survey.

Mar Roxas placed second, with 22 percent, while Grace Poe shipped to third, with 21 percent.

Vice President Jejomar Binay is fourth, with 17 percent. But based on his 2010 surprise win, one cannot rule out a possible surprise victory again for Binay.

In the vice presidential race, Rep. Leni Robredo increased by four percentage point to 30 percent, overtaking Senator Bongbong Marcos, who slid to second place, with 28 percent. But with the INC supporting Marcos, he can easily overtake Robredo.

The latest SWS survey showed Duterte on top, with 33 percent; Grace Poe, with 22 percent. Roxas with 20 percent and Binay with 13 percent.

In the vice presidential race, Marcos and Robredo are statistically tied, with 29 percent and 28 percent respectively.

Erap reopens two markets

Mayor Erap Estrada inaugurated two more high class public markets, Sampaloc Market and Trabajo Market.

Erap also installed more than 280 street lights along the dark streets of Manila.

The latest Stratford Survey shows Mayor Erap leading Fred Lim by 13 percent. The Iglesia Ni Cristo is supporting Mayor Erap.

Mayor Erap held his meeting de avance Thursday evening at Plaza Moriones in Tondo.

Tidbits

Bacoor chief accountant Marissa Bautista Ramchard, 54, was shot dead at close range as she was about to board her car in front of her house.

Lourdes Alicante Torres, 76, a retired accountant, was killed by Akyat Bahay robbers in Caloocan by using a hammer and a screwdriver.

Yolanda Vallecer, 64, a barangay councilor, was shot dead in Candelaria, Quezon.

The Abu Sayyaf Group threatens to kill three more hostages if ransom is not paid.

Happy 19th birthday greeting to Ylaisha Gosiaco.