VOTERS' REGISTRATION EXTENDED UNTIL JAN 9 Probably, the best christmas gift one can give to our country

From ABS-CBN.COM

MANILA - The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday extended registration of voters for the May 10, 2010 elections to the second week of January 2010, according to early reports reaching abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.

The decision is immediately executory, the Supreme Court sources said.

Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino asked the Supreme Court last October 30 to move the deadline for voters' registration to January 9 as provided by law.

"We are questioning the legality of shortened voters' registration. According to Section 8 of the Voter Registration Act of 1996, registration should be daily and 120 days before election," Palatino had said. (Access petition here: http://tinyurl.com/yhyqwov )

"The deadline should be January 9. Congress, not Comelec, has the power to amend a law," he said.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) had set the deadline for voters' registration to October 31 due to the demands of poll automation.

Only 3 million first-time voters

According to Palatino, National Statistics Office data shows there should be 11 million first-time voters, but only 3 million had registered.

Other petitioners were Jade Charmane Rose Valenzuela, Jacqueline Alexis Merced, Ana Katrina Tejero, Kenneth Carlisle Earl Eugenio, and Victor Louis Crisostomo, all first-time voters who tried but failed to register due various reasons.

They were joined by Alvin Peters, president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP); Vijae Alquisola, president of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP); Ken Leonard Ramos, chairperson of Anakbayan; and, Ma. Cristina Angela Guevarra, chairperson of the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP).

At the House of Representatives, Palatino had filed three resolutions--House Resolutions 1162, 1443, and 1336--seeking the extension of voters’ registration. -- with a report from Carmela Fonbuena, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak

Never Again to Martial Law Online Petition

Our friends and kasamas abroad have launched an online petition against Martial Law in Maguindanao.

Its Background (Preamble):

We, the undersigned, say never again to martial law in any region of the Philippines under any circumstances. Never again should an authoritarian military regime rule with an iron fist over the Filipino people. Never again should democracy, civil liberties, and press freedom be suppressed.

Never again should the writ of habeas corpus be suspended by the Philippine government, allowing for warrantless raids, arrests, and seizures to be conducted by the Philippine military against innocent civilians in the Philippines. Never again should military commissions be created to take over the powers of civilian courts and the judicial system. Never again should individuals in disagreement with the Philippine government's policies be systematically assassinated or rounded up, imprisoned, and tortured just for their political beliefs. Never again should such a civilian-military dictatorship in the Philippines enjoy the backing of the US government. Click to continue reading...

Joint session on Proclamation 1959

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