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COMES now the disturbing questions about the automated election machines that earlier gave us an immediate glimpse of the results of the voting.

Lots of doubts are now being expressed about the veracity and accuracy of the election results from precincts that used the automated election system (AES).

This is disturbing because this is the second electoral exercise where the automated system has been used. In both instances, the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines helped. Thus, I believed we have a good thing going for us, election-wise and politics-wise.

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HONG KONG—Asian shares rose on Monday reflecting a bullish mood on Wall Street and extending their two-week rally, buoyed by better-than-expected US data.   Tokyo stocks were up 1.47 percent, or 222.69 points, to 15,360.81, and Sydney gained 0.54 percent, or 28.2 points, to close at 5,209.0.   Hong Kong ended 1.78 percent higher, or 410.35 points, to end at 23,493.03, as Shanghai closed up 0.75 percent, or 17.12 points, to 2,299.99, and Seoul finished flat at 0.22 percent, or 4.38 points, to 1,982.43.   Chinese shares were up as investors hunted for bargains in property and banking stocks, dealers said.   "Fund managers are buying propert...

Keep on reading: Asian shares higher on US gains

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CAN a neophyte lawmaker like newly elected Rep. Aileen Radaza do it meaning, push through the legislative mill her proposal to slice off Mactan island from the Cebu mainland and raise its status to a province?

It’s an interesting question. As interesting as why her father, outgoing Lapu-Lapu Rep. Arturo Radaza didn’t craft the bill himself.

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MANILA, Philippines — Monitoring the traffic flow in the metropolis' major thoroughfares is now at the motorists' fingertips with the latest addition to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority's digitized traffic information system.   That is only if they have smart phones and tablet computers with online connection.   The MMDA's Traffic Mirror, a website allowing motorists to view real-time video feed of the latest traffic situation on the road, was presented to the media and other officials of the MMDA at its headquarters on Monday.   “Our purpose is to empower the ordinary motorists, pedestrians and even the businessmen. Why would you sti...

Keep on reading: Metro’s traffic situation may now be monitored via smart phones, tablets

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CHIEFFY Caligdong showed up with his golden boot to tow Erco FC to an easy, 6-2, win over the Hijos Del Pueblo in Group B action of the 13th Cebu Interclub Football Cup men’s open division at the Cebu City Sports Center.

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MANILA, Philippines — A 52-year-old woman was killed Monday afternoon after she was shot at close range by two unknown assailants right inside a restaurant at a subdivision in Parañaque City, police said.   Police identified the victim as Josephine Sarmiento, a married woman residing in BF Homes, Parañaque.   Senior Superintendent Andrei Felix, the city's police chief, said the woman was dining with a companion at Pancake House along President Avenue in BF Homes around 4 p.m. when one of the two men who were seated at the next table stood up and shot her in the head.   The gunman and his companion casually walked out of the restaurant and fled the sce...

Keep on reading: Woman shot dead inside restaurant in Parañaque City

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FILIPINO master Lee Van Corteza extended the Pinoys’ reign by winning the World Pool Association (WPA)-organized 2013 China Open 9-ball tournament in Shanghai last Sunday.

Corteza defeated veteran Fu Che Wei of Chinese-Taipei 11-6 to win the richest WPA tournament. The 34-year-old Davao native succeeded the title from compatriot Dennis Orcollo, who was eliminated during the Round of 16 by Wei, 11-8.

Corteza took on Fu’s early errors as he pounded the 40-year-old Taiwanese for an early 4-1 lead.

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CEBUANO Grandmaster Richard Bitoon joined five other Filipino masters who trail the early leaders by half a point after Round 2 of the Manny Pacquiao Cup–Asian Continental Open and Women’s Chess Championships at the Midas Hotel in Pasay City,

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CEBU is off to a hot start in the National Finals of the Coca Cola PBA Youngstars after winning its first two games.

Cebu, represented by the Lancers, defeated first-timers Cagayan de Oro, 40-31, in the opening day at the JCSGO Gym in Cubao last Sunday, while they won by default against San Juan yesterday.

In other results, Pampanga beat Manila, 60-55, while Laguna handed Cagayan de Oro their second loss with a 80-72 win.

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DEFTAC Cebu had a fruitful stint at the 2013 Pan Asian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Gi and No Gi International at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City over the weekend.

Deftac Cebu snagged five gold medals, three silvers and two bronzes in the annual meet of BJJ practitioners in Asia.

The Deftac Cebu team was led by Florence Belle Soliman, who grabbed a gold medal each in Gi and No Gi Open Weight category; another gold medal in the Female Adults Blue belt division, Under 58.5kg (Pena) with Gi; and a bronze medal in No Gi Open Weight.

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WHEN the NBA season started last Oct. 30, there stood 30 teams. Today, there are only Memphis, Miami, Indiana and San Antonio.

Of the “Final Four,” my good friend Dennis Que is most impressed with the Memphis Grizzlies. Weeks back, he picked Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers (East) and San Antonio Spurs-Oklahoma City Thunder (West); he got three out of four right.

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IF you were not amazed, didn’t ooze with praise, over the way Alaska defeated Barangay Ginebra, I surmise you must be a zombie, maybe?

Alaska scored a so-called sweet sweep over Ginebra, completing a rare 3-0 victory in the best-of-five title playoffs for the Cebuana Lhuillier-PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

Even the predominantly pro-Ginebra crowd of a record 23,436 spectators at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, watched unbelieving at the clinical precision with which Alaska administered the destruction of the country’s lone darling in basketball.

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IT’S been more than a week since the AFC President’s Cup group stage came to its not-too-ideal conclusion, but some football circles in Cebu are still talking about the international event, particularly Philippine representative Global FC’s matches.

But despite losing its last match 1-6, first-timer Global FC hardly became an object of ridicule, as the spectators were sensible enough to attribute the club’s poor performance to a lack of experience in international tournaments.

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MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has approved three wind farm projects that will generate 208 megawatts, enough to power more than 40,000 middle-class homes, an energy official said on Monday.   The wind projects will be the first to benefit from an incentive scheme which aims to ensure half the country's energy comes from renewable sources by 2030, compared with about 39 percent currently, the official said.   The three projects are due to be operational by early 2015, said Mario Marasigan, the energy department's renewable energy bureau chief.   "We approved their declarations of commerciality. They (guaranteed) to us that they are viable under t...

Keep on reading: PH approves three new wind farms

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POWER will “remain at the forefront” of the Aboitiz group’s business expansion. The Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) is allocating P59 billion for capital expenditures this year, P27 billion of which is geared towards boosting its power business.

In a press conference yesterday, AEV and AboitizPower (AP) president and chief executive officer Erramon Aboitiz said the company will build new generating capacity to support the country’s power demand amid a thriving economy.

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THE Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines (SIAP) got the support of the Export Development Council (EDC) in its campaign against an American scientist’s study on carrageenan.

In a recent meeting, SIAP chairman Max Ricohermoso told Sun.Star Cebu that EDC came up with a resolution to support the industry’s information drive in both domestic and international markets on carrageenan’s health benefits.

“EDC’s support is about confirming our positive carrageenan positioning with the domestic and international media,” said Ricohermoso, president of MCPI Corp.

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CEBU Pacific has increased connectivity to and from Mindanao, by adding flight frequencies and options to travelers headed for Zamboanga, Tawi-Tawi and Davao.

Starting June 15, Cebu Pacific will add two weekly flights using an Airbus A320 aircraft between Cebu and Zamboanga, making it a six times weekly service.

Starting July 1, the airline will add thrice weekly flights from Manila to Zamboanga, and from Zamboanga to Tawi-Tawi, making it a 24 times weekly service and a daily service, respectively.

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MANILA, Philippines - The first day of the canvassing for the partylist groups was suspended Monday after 110 certificates of canvass (COCs) were canvassed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC).   As of 5:20 p.m., 110 COCs, equivalent to 39,994,751 votes, were canvassed by the NBOC. Only five of the 110 COCs were from Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV).   The canvassing of the partylist groups was suspended last week after several issues were raised regarding the inclusion of 12 disqualified groups.   Bayan Muna representative Neri Colmenares made a motion before the NBOC to consider the votes for...

Keep on reading: Comelec suspends partylist canvassing

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines said Monday it had signed a historic agreement with Saudi Arabia that would protect thousands of Filipina maids from being exploited in the Middle Eastern kingdom.   The agreement guarantees Filipina maids benefits like a day off each week while preventing their hiring costs from being deducted from their salary among other safeguards, said Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz in a statement.   "We are very confident that cases of abuse will be less after this agreement takes effect because the agreement ensures fair and humane treatment of our HSWs (home service workers)," she said.   She estimated that 60,000 dome...

Keep on reading: Saudi signs accord to protect PH maids

MANILA, Philippines — Businessman and construction pioneer Felipe F. Cruz, 93, best known for establishing one of the country’s largest contractors, FF Cruz Co. Inc., passed away late Sunday, people close to him confirmed on Monday. The magnate was among the Philippines’s building pioneers having established what is known today as FF Cruz almost six decades ago. The company, which started out as a small surveying firm, eventually transformed into the muscle behind key infrastructure projects within Metro Manila like the C-5 Ortigas Avenue extension interchange. Cruz, an engineer by profession, was described as a “superman” by family members and peers even later in his...

Keep on reading: Felipe F. Cruz, PH’s construction pioneer, dies at 93