Recent NBA Playoffs (Suns vs. Spurs) and Philippine Election Winners

I am happy for the Phoenix Suns especially Steve Nash who finally won over the San Antonio Spurs yesterday in their match-up after many years of futility. Nash was again bloodied like a boxer reminiscent of his bloodied nose in one of their playoff match-ups in the past with the Spurs when the latter won.

Not this time. Nash with one eye shut after getting 6 stitches willed the Suns to sweet victory teaming up with Stoudemire to finish off the Spurs.

Things were really different this time as they switch places. The Spurs who were very tough and "dirty" with Bowen, Horry and Oberto before were relatively "softer" this time around with Richard Jefferson not performing well as expected. The Suns on the other hand who were thought of as soft during D' Antoni's time were now tough and gritty. They were a hustling team with a never-say-die attitude thanks to their bench of Dudley, Frye, Amundson and Dragic plus the good defense of the "reinvented" Grant Hill.

Who would have thought the Suns would reach this position? Well, they have a big task at hand in their match-up. The Mighty Lakers. Win or lose though, the Suns have already overachieve. I am just happy for them.


On the other hand, I am not so happy with the results of yesterday's elections. Below are some interesting results:

1. In the Senatorial race, as of this time, Lito Lapid is in at number 11 beating out Risa Hontiveros and Ruffy Biazon so far.
2. Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada are top 1 and 2 senators respectively, ahead of veteran lawmakers Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Frank Drilon and JP Enrile.
3. Lilia Pineda leads over Ed Panlilio
4. Dy leads over Grace Padaca
5. Manny Pacquiao appears to win as Congressman. Will that have an effect in his boxing career?
6. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will most likely become a Congresswoman

For regional elections tally by GMA network click on this link.National tally here.

Election 2010: A Historic Moment for Our Country

It's a little more than an hour since voting was closed.

In one polling precinct with almost 1000 registered voters, some were not able to vote for they were not able to wait for their priority number to be called. This prompted one friend to say that in last year's elections, the voting was fast but the counting was very slow. Today the voting was slow and the counting expected to be fast.

Actually, voting itself was fast. It's just that the board of election inspectors are dealing with more voters due to the creation of clustered precincts equivalent to 4-5 precincts in the previous elections. Maybe in the next elections, the clustered precincts should be composed of lesser number of precincts or less than 1000 voters.

This election indeed serves as the "pretesting" phase for the subsequent automated elections.

Watching from the televised news programs, the reporting of results from the precincts appear to be fast though. Local election winners may be known within 24 hours or within this evening.

But I am not so far satisfied of the partial election results especially in the senatorial race. Popularity still seems to be the prevailing basis for selecting candidates. Example: One under-performing but very popular candidate is in the top 12 even if in the past this candidate admitted he performs betters as a local chief executive than as a lawmaker in Congress (where he admits he is out of place).

Want to know results for Cebu precincts?  Here is the link for Cebu.
For results for polling precincts all over the country, click here.

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It's 830 AM. Just finished voting. I was voter number 45 in my precinct. The turnout rate so far is 40 per hour which is slow. Around 90 should vote per hour to finish 1000 in a precinct on time.

There was confusion in the giving of priority numbers and there was lack of a system in allowing voters entry into the holding area.

Some tips?

1. Vote early. Locate your precinct and take note of your voter number.
2. In shading, make a continuous circular motion so the ink will not blot through the paper affecting the other side of your ballot.
3.  Be aware where your forearm is because your sweaty forearm or elbow may come in contact with the ballot paper.
4. Do not fold the ballot paper.
5. Remind the assigned teacher (BEI I think) to affix his or her signature on your ballot prior to loading the ballot in the PCOS.
6. Wait for the "congratulations" in the PCOS before leaving the PCOS machine.
7.  Bring a lot of patience.
8. Continue to pray for the success of the election.

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It's around 5 AM. Woke up early. I don't know but I am having the same feeling as when I am about to take a certifying board exam.. Never felt this way prior to voting...

I am thinking about the PCOS machines, the markers, the ballot...hope everything will be okey...I want to prepare myself early.

Candidates list...check. Handkerchief to wipe off sweat in the hands...check. Breakfast...check. Precinct number...check.

I am registered in a polling precinct quite far from my present address so I have to travel early.

Let's pray for an honest, orderly and peaceful elections. Vote wisely my countrymen! Updates later...

Who Will You Vote for Philippine President? A Survey Among Friends/Readers

In a few days, it will be National Elections Day, a very crucial and pivotal time for our country.

There are different groups here and there supporting different Presidential candidates.

You have the Doctors for Gibo group, Volunteers for Noynoy among many others. It seems Cebu is divided with some also supporting Manny Villar.

There are also others who are undecided.

Surveys that have been publicized in the national papers have a different top 3 compared to surveys done by CBCP, Seven Eleven and other groups.I will not comment here who is reliable or not.

Just for fun (because I know this will not be really scientific), I decided to have my own poll here and I invite you to participate in this poll. I just hope more than 10 will participate so that hopefully I could post the results prior to the elections. Let me make a clarification though that I am not endorsing any candidate here, OK?

(NOTE: After the voting closed, here are the results: Aquino-4, Gordon-3, Teodoro-3, the rest 0. Thanks for voting.