MANILA, Philippines – At 77, former Senate President Ernesto “Manong Ernie” Maceda is the oldest senatorial candidate in 2013. He is convinced, going by his track record, that he could be among the most brilliant too.

He has been out of the race for nearly a decade -- a has-been, critics say -- but the performance of the so-called “octomaneuvers” in the Corona impeachment trial early last year inspired him to get on the course again.

(UPDATED) MANILA, Philippines – If there's someone who should be happiest about the historic raffle of party-list groups on Friday, January 4, it should be Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr, who initiated the Comelec's unprecedented party-list purge.

MANILA, Philippines – Does the number 16 follow 15?

Not necessarily, when it comes to the party-list slots on the ballot in 2013. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) may skip some numerical slots after it revised the results of the party-list raffle held last January 4, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said.

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) can only wait for so long.

If disqualified party-list groups want to be included in the ballot in the May 2013 elections, the Supreme Court (SC) should have issued a reprieve or ruling on their appeals by Friday next week, January 11. After this date, the Comelec can no longer accommodate status quo ante (SQA) orders or other rulings from the SC, Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr told reporters Thursday, January 3,

Today we went to the city of Davao far in the south of the Philippines, and very close to Indonesia. The city is famous for its white sand beaches, and a VERY stinky, delicious fruit called durian. It's so stinky, in fact, that the Singapore government bans it on all public transportation. Our mission today was to train a group of the city Congressman's university scholars. They are a core of students that he sponsors to go to university.